Balance
by Elodie Snape
Summary: The fourth, and final, installment of Kailyn's tale. "Time has passed since the anarchy of the Red Lotus, and life moved on...and yet, Korra still has not returned to her friends... But a bigger I had was the look my mother was giving me through the mirror." This begins with a much awaited scene from those who have read the previous stories.
1. Chapter 1

Balance

by Kiley S. Snape

"Kailyn, you are so beautiful."

I smiled at my aunt's reflection in the mirror, but did not give a reply. Su had been the one to say that phrase several dozen times today, but my mother had yet to say anything really. I knew she loved me, and she respected Iroh- but I did not know if she was happy with my decision. She remained where she had first been when I began to get ready- leaned against the wall, scowling, with her arms folded across her chest. Despite the seemingly endless elation I felt about today, I could see my melancholy growing in my eyes.

It broke my heart that my mother was not as happy as I was on my wedding day.

"I'm going to take my seat," Su announced softly, brushing a kiss against my temple.

My mother's eyes followed her out, and I believed she wanted the chance to leave as well. Her attention returned to me, watching me fidget under her half-lidded gaze. I fastened a pair of pearl earrings and regarded my mother through the mirror. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed, which caused my heart to sink lower into my chest.

"Are you disappointed in me?" I finally mumbled.

The intensity of my mother's gaze could have shattered platinum as if it were cheap iron. She walked up to me to kneel at my side; her strong hands grasped mine, her eyes briefly drifting to the flickering fire opal on my ring finger. "Never," she began, "Just realizing that you're finally going to be married…and that means you will be leaving Republic City." Her hand reached up to cup the side of my face tenderly, taking care not to smudge my make-up. "Kailyn, you're braver than I will ever be," she confessed faintly.

"Do you regret it…not marrying Tenzin?" I wondered, knowing my mother never spoke to me much of her past relationship with the airbending master.

"At times, yes. But when I take one look at you- I realise I may never gotten you."

My arms clumsily looped around her neck and drew her to me. I let out a tremulous laugh as she tensed before folding her arms about my waist. "I love you, and I'm glad you're here with me, Mum," I whispered into her hair.

"Don't mess up your make-up, or you'll never leave this room."

"Just need one more thing," I assured her, and returned my attention to the mirror in front of me. I slowly plucked the hairpin-cum-knife that had ultimately saved my life, and fastened it into the coiled tendrils holding my veil in place. I rose to my feet, and asked nervously, "Well?"

"You look beautiful, Kailyn."

No music played as my mother walked me down the aisle; no frivolous pomp and circumstance was needed. This wasn't about anyone else, save Iroh and me; this was the next defining chapter of that something wonderful we found in one another. My heart threatened to surge out of my chest in a tide of joy at the sight of Iroh waiting for me at the altar.

We shared breathless smiles, and suddenly I found myself before him. My cheeks flushed pink as my mother extended my hand to slide from hers into Iroh's. "Rubble- remember that," she warned, and gave him a smirk.

"Mum," I chided in a faint laugh, and smiled reassuringly at my future husband.

Iroh and I turned to face one another, and the man acting as my father began to preside. Tenzin smiled proudly as he regarded the two of us. My heart tattooed against my ribs; it would soon burst, surely. "Today marks a glorious beginning," the airbender announced, "And it is with great pride that I am a part of this ceremony. Iroh, you may state your vows."

The aforementioned looked at me with such gratitude and devotion that my eyes began to water. It was profound in its simplicity, pure in its faith. "Kailyn, I cannot put into words how happy you have made me, even when you are frustrated with me, and so I will not begin to try. I cannot promise we will never quarrel, we have done that already, or that your mother will not turn me into rubble if you don't first…but I can promise you this… I will strive to love you more each day, and that you will always have a home with me. I will cherish you- honour you as you deserve. I vow to be your protector and partner until the end of me," he spoke, his voice carrying through the silent audience.

"Kailyn, your vows," Tenzin urged when several moments had gone by without my beginning.

I began to withdraw my hand with the intent to wipe away the tears that pooled in the corners of my eyes, but Iroh beat me to it. A blinding smile curved my lips as he tenderly brushed away the offending drops. I cleared my tight throat, and gave his hands a squeeze. "I thank whatever strands of fate that granted me your love, Iroh. You have been one of my greatest friends, and been mine faithfully before I even knew it. I vow to be your equal- to guide you as you do the same for me. I promise to love you and the children we will bring into the world. I swear to protect you, even if it means from my own mother. I am yours, and you are mine, throughout time and all eternity," I finished proudly, and took in a deep breath.

"I proclaim you husband and wife," Tenzin said, and we slid our wedding bands onto our fingers.

"As Fire Lord, I now crown you, Kailyn of House Hsiao and Beifong, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation," Izumi announced, and fastened the royal sigil into my hair. "Iroh, kiss your bride," she mused warmly.

My hands threaded together at the nape of his neck as he cupped my waist. I playfully rolled my eyes when he dipped me low, and he beamed crookedly down at me.

"I only get a first kiss from my bride once," Iroh teased.

"Redundant," I chided before my lips met his.

Applause erupted around us, and Iroh pulled me to my feet. I demurely looked out at our friends and family that had joined us today. I tried my best to meet everyone's eye, but my eyes kept darting to look at my mother. She looked as she always did, to everyone else, but I saw the warmth in her peridot eyes even from my place upon the dais. Iroh and I walked through the crowd, shaking hands and embracing as was custom, and when we reached the end of the well-wishers he pulled me into another kiss.

"How does it feel to be bride and crowned a princess in the same day?" my husband teased.

"Careful, she may put you in the dungeons. You do have those there, right?" Wei laughed.

"I was thinking the stocks- much more entertaining," I quipped as I threaded my arm through Iroh's.

"Go dance," Tenzin urged, and gave me a nudge with a gentle jet of air to further his point.

A murmur rippled through the crowd as Iroh guided me onto the dance floor. My cheeks burned from smiling, but it would not diminish- not today. This was the next chapter of our life; we had faced so much in our lives, so much to reach this moment that it left me feeling so surreal. One of his hands rested on my hip and its mate took hold of mine. The orchestra had a belated start, but that did not cause our feet to falter. I laughed faintly, breaking my gaze away from my husband's to smile breathlessly. He led me about the floor, and after a time other couples joined us. First, came Pema and Tenzin- followed by Su and Bataar Sr.- and then Bolin and Opal. I watched all the couples dancing, and saw my mother tucked away in the corner.

A wave of melancholy dropped upon me, and I urged Iroh, "Go dance with your mother." I slipped away to take my seat at the head table, and smoothed out the skirts of my dress to keep my buzzing mind occupied. My mother came to sit next to me; I reached out to take hold of her hand. I looked up to watch Iroh and Izumi dance, and smile sadly. The ache of my father not being here on my wedding day pressed upon me, and a tear welled to fruition in the corner of my eye. I felt my mother's intense gaze as I took my bottom lip between my teeth. "He should be here," I whimpered.

"On your feet."

I blinked owlishly to clear my vision and I mumbled, "Pardon?"

"Get up. I won't have you like this today," my mother explained, and rose from her chair.

A tremulous smile settled on my face, and I let out a watery laugh. My mother trudged beside me onto the dance floor, and I saw Tenzin eye the two of us incredulously. My mother stiffly began to dance with me, and I felt like I could conquer the world.

"Mum, thank you," I murmured when the song finished, and I pulled her into a fierce embrace.

"If you mention this ever again- princess or not- you'll be gravel," my mother warned.

"Ready to go?" Iroh asked when I came out of the dressing room.

"Almost," I assured him, "One more round of good byes to the family."

His arm wrapped around my hip as we walked out of Su's house. Our family and friends were down in the courtyard where Su and my mother had their tumultuous reconciliation. I smiled wryly at the memory, and marveled at how changed the world was already from how things were when we had first arrived in Zaofu.

"To the lovebirds, the General and Lil Beifong!" Bumi cheered, "May there be many little fire and earthbenders in your future!" The man laughed at his quip, but Su and my mother cuffed him about the ears.

"We all wish you happiness," Su amended wryly, and pulled me into a final hug.

One by one, we said our good byes one last time- until my mother remained. She was uncomfortable having so many eyes on her in what she deemed a sentimental moment. Iroh and I walked up to her, and she latently squared her shoulders at the impending obstacle.

"You take care of her, Gener- Iroh," my mother warned, and I smiled when she called him by name.

"You have my word."

"Mum?" I spoke softly, and her eyes snapped over to meet mine, "Can you do something for me…please?"

"Kailyn?"

I unwound my father's cravat from my neck, and held it out for her to take. "Look after this for me?" I finished, and smiled. My mother's eyes widened and she looked to be at a loss for words. I took my father's cravat in both hands and threaded it around her neck when she still did not move. "I want you to know that I will always be around, and that I love you so much, Mum," I concluded tenderly, and brushed my lips against her cheek.

My mother's arms held me fast, and she hid her face in my thick curtain of hair. "I love you more, Kailyn, I know I don't say it enough- but I do," she whispered before she schooled her features.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where are you two headed?" Pema asked, thankfully drawing the attention away from my mother.

"Ember Island," Iroh answered.

"Thank you all for sharing this day with us," I added, "It means the world to us."

"To the newlyweds!" Su cheered, and everyone heartily agreed.

"I love you," I panted.

"Well, that goes without saying- we did get married, today, in case you've forgotten."

I brushed a sweaty tendril out of my face and smile demurely at him. "Married, you say?" I mused, playfully furrowing my brow.

"You were the most beautiful woman in the white gown…did you mean to mimic the style of the dress you wore to the Nuktuk finale?"

"I cannot believe you remembered," I praised, "I had hoped…"

"That will not be a night I will forget anytime soon. I don't know what I loved more- when you first appeared, or when I saw you fighting those hired thugs," Iroh murmured.

"Flatterer," I teased, and pressed my frame against his. I could feel Iroh's heat permeate my being, and I hummed in satisfaction.

"Surprisingly enough- being married makes it easier to talk to you about before you were aware of my existence."

"I always knew you were there, Iroh, only I never knew you were right in front of me."

"What are you worried about, Kailyn?"

"My mum," I answered, rolling over to face him in our bed, "I'm worried we will fall out of touch- or that we'll both get so busy in our now separate lives that we won't take time to visit. I'm scared she won't need me anymore."

Iroh's hand reached out to cup my face before it combed back the hair that fell into my face. "She will never put anything before you, Kailyn," my husband said with conviction. He pulled me to him, cloaking my frame with his larger one, and peppered my hairline with kisses. "Your mother is not the most easy person to read, but anyone knows one thing for certain- that she loves you more than anything in the world," he finished faintly, and then buried his face into my curtain of hair.

"You always know what to day," I remarked wryly.

"Comes from being related to the Dragon of the West."

"Of course."

" _Hello?_ "

"Hi, Mum, it's me…Kailyn."

" _It's been four months, Kailyn, I am not old enough to forget what you sound like._ "

I smiled into the received and replied, "I missed you, too. How are things in the city?"

" _Same as always. How's the husband?_ "

"Will you ever willingly call him by name?" I laughed, "He is currently on duty for the next two months." The line fell silent; neither of us seemed to know what to say next.

" _Coming to visit anytime soon?_ "

"Probably not, I oversee a lot of Iroh's responsibilities while he is out, and I have proposed an idea to help the progression of the Fire Nation to Izumi…so she will need me to launch it if it gets approved," I explained, "Have you thought about coming here?"

" _Can't say I have._ "

My spirits fell and I was relieved that my mother could not see my disappointment. With each sparse phone call, the length shortened and my mother seemed to be more than ready to end them after a few questions shot between us. "It's strange- not having you around," I confessed faintly.

" _Well, I'm sure you do just fine without me._ "

I frowned at my mother's curt reply; I was probably over thinking the situation, but my mother was starting to become as abrasive as when she had first taken me into her home. "Iroh and I were thinking about spending a holiday on Ember Island, and I was thinking…"

" _Lovely_ ," my mother remarked stiffly, " _I have to go- the Triple Threat are attempting a robbery._ "

"Good bye, Mum, I lo…ve you," I finished lamely, my mother had already dropped the call.

"Kailyn, is everything all right?" Izumi asked, looking up from the blueprints, her brow furrowed in concern.

A small part of me felt so foolish for feeling upset that my mother seemed content at my independence. "I'm fine," I sighed, trying to ease the growing tension between my shoulder blade, "My mother…"

"From my experience with her when we were children, she is quite distant- except to Tenzin…though that only meant the airbender was the receiver to repetitious punches."

I smiled and laughed, "That sounds like my mother." I walked around the desk to look over the plans with her, and idly chewed on the knuckle of my thumb. I felt like the design would never be good enough, and I wanted everything to be in order so that Izumi would understand my true vision.

"Kailyn, I don't know where to begin," my mother in law murmured.

"We can change whatever you want to make it feasible," I began readily.

"No, Kailyn. I don't want to change a thing," Izumi dismissed, adjusting her glasses as she smiled at me. She reached out to take hold of my hand and continued, "What you have envisioned is simply amazing. This will change the lives of so many people…"

"Do you think so?" I asked softly.

"Everything will be well. When does the foundation work begin?"

"The builders told me they can begin as early as next week," I explained.

Over the course of the next year, I tried to keep in regular contact with my mother. But the conversations grew shorter, and the time between them grew further apart. I assumed my mother had moved on with her life; she seemed occupied with her job and made time for nothing else. Is this what happened when you leave your parent's care to enter adulthood? Would all of this have been the same if it were my father instead of Lin? Fortunately, a part of my dream for helping the world was coming to fruition, and I set aside my voiceless insecurities for a time.

"The inspiration behind this comes from my time living in Republic City. So many people, benders and nonbenders alike, were left to somehow manage to survive on the streets. Not only did that pain me to see so many good people try to live like that, but it hurt me more that nothing changed. One of my later father's friends, Gommu, who served in the United Forces with honour and loyalty is left to fend for himself…written off as _yet another vagabond_.

"I wanted to create a place- a home- where no one would be turned away, and where there was an opportunity to change their life for the better," I explained into the cluster of microphones, "I am not placing blame on Republic City, or any of its leaders- nor am I for the Fire Nation, but things to change…and balance must be an opportunity for everyone- not just the privileged."

"It is with great pleasure that Princess Kailyn and I declare the first Relief Home open," Izumi finished, a well-practised smile curving her lips, and wrapped an arm around me as we cut the signature ribbon. "The princess will take any questions you have for her at this time."

"Princess Kailyn," one of the reporters readily began, "How do you compare your humanitarian work to Kuvira, the Great Uniter of the Earth Kingadom?"

My mood dropped, and my brow furrowed slightly. I regarded the man as I considered my next words carefully. Not only was I a newcomer to a foreign culture, but also represented the head of the Fire Nation. I cleared my throat softly. "In a very short while, the world has encountered many…radical people with aspiring agendas. Amon sought equality through persecution; Tarrlok wanted reconnection to the spirits, only achieved that through darkness and destruction. Only three years ago, Zaheer and the other members of the Red Lotus yearned freedom for all nations…to be free of tyranny.

"However, all that was achieved was chaos, chaos that nearly destroyed Avatar Korra and the Avatar Cycle. And now, Kuvira is bringing forth what she claims a movement to reunite the scattered states of the Earth Kingdom. Peace through forced submission is not unity. What needs to be realised is unity is indeed capable for all- but not with fear and terror tactics."

The crowd around us applauded my remarks, and I released a relieved sigh. I bowed to the people in gratitude before I stepped away from the podium to join Izumi. "What do you think Iroh will say about this?" I worried.

"I'm sure you will hear all about it soon enough," Izumi commented, "I think you did a wonderful job with such a delicate question. Now come on, we've got work to do, my dear."

My husband had indeed let me know his thoughts on my statement to the press when he called me that evening, praising my first triumph to help the people of the world. I could hear his comrades in the background, chortling amongst themselves at the blatant pride he had for his wife, and I laughed gently with them. Tenzin called after Iroh, and I realised how much I missed the airbender.

" _I listened to the entire opening ceremony, Kailyn, what you are doing is nothing short of amazing._ "

"Thank you, Tenzin, that means so much coming from you. Have you…Have you heard from Korra?"

Tenzin sighed faintly and grew silent for a time. I could picture his softened brow as he struggled to have hope for the both of us, and struggled to find the right words for me. " _No,_ " he confessed softly, " _But I know my mother is seeing to her care._ "

"And my mother?" I pressed nervously, bring my thumb up to my lips to chew on the knuckle as I was wont to do.

" _Your mother- Lin has been…very busy, Kailyn._ "

"But that doesn't mean she can't send word," I protested feebly, "She hasn't called me once- I am always the one to initiate. Tenzin-"

" _-Kailyn, I understand your frustration, but remember how Lin gets. What with Prince Wu's coronation weeks away, your mother is under a tremendous amount of pressure in regards to security._ "

"I know you feel obligated to say that, Tenzin, but you don't understand. My mother has not come to see me _once_ , or tell me I could come visit her- she won't even pretend she wants to talk to me. I don't want to argue, I truly don't. Please, tell everyone I miss them and they are welcome to visit anytime. Good bye."

" _Good bye, Kailyn._ "


	3. Chapter 3

"Kailyn," Iroh called from the front room, "You are going to want to hear this."

I set down my book and trotted out of the study. My brow furrowed at the sight of my husband's hunched, tensed shoulders as he sat in the armchair. "Iroh? What is it?" I pressed.

Iroh jerked his head to the wireless in wordless reply.

" _Growing up in Zaofu with Suyin Beifong, I learned that the idea of a family passing title from one generation to the next was archaic, and that technology and innovation should be what drives a nation forward. It was the pathetic rule of kings and queens that caused the Earth Kingdom to descend into such incredible disarray._

 _"It's taken me three years to get it back on track and there's no way I will allow it to slip back into the dark ages. I'd like to make an announcement to the world- the Earth Kingdom is no more. And from here on out, this man has no authority. I have created a new Earth Empire, and I will continue to lead in into the future myself…bringing about a new era of prosperity for my people!_ " Kuvira announced. Applause and cheers sounded from the radio, and my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

" _And let me assure my fellow leaders of one thing- anyone who crosses our borders, or stands in our way, will be crushed,_ " the self-claimed Great Uniter finished.

"My mother and grandfather are right there, and she had the gall to call their roles archaic," Iroh rumbled dangerously, eyes blazing.

I knelt between his knees; his topaz eyes continued to burn, and I could his rage roll off him in hot waves. I cradled his between my hands, and craned up to brush my lips against his. "Feeling indignant from such a distance will solve nothing," I murmured, "I wouldn't worry about our family. Your mother and Lord Zuko are more than capable of defending themselves. But perhaps sparring might help you-"

"-Kailyn, no."

"Will you not fight me because I am a woman?" I demanded incredulously.

He bent so that our foreheads met. "I will not fight you because you are my wife, and equal. If I were to ever hurt you…" he explained softly. I rolled my eyes and felt my irritation face away. He was impossibly good at what others deemed my Beifong temper. He nuzzled my face and asked, "Are you feeling all right? You haven't been working too hard in my mother's stead, have you?"

"Nothing like that- no matter what I am doing I feel exhausted," I dismissed, and pulled myself onto his lap. Our arms folded around one another, and I breathed the scent of heat that exuded from him.

"What do you think will happen next?"

"Kuvira will set her sights on what she considers the ultimate prize- Zaofu," I answered softly.

"Would she make such an aggressive move with so much attention on her now?"

"As if the one she just did wasn't equally radical?" I scoffed, "Iroh, she knows she has the upper hand. She will not wait for Raiko to gather what few wits he may possess." My thoughts went to Su and the rest of my family…what would they do? What would my mother do? "I wish Korra were there," I though aloud.

"Has anyone received from her recently?"

"Nothing," I replied, and rested my head in the crook neck, "What if-"

"-Kailyn. We would know. She's probably in the Spirit World…she's all right," my husband assured me. He shifted me into his arms, and carried me into our bedroom. He settled us into bed, and his arms wrapped around me.

"Iroh, I am afraid," I confided tremulously, "I am properly frightened." My eyes snapped shut on their own accord and Iroh drew me closer to him.

"Nothing is going to happen to our family," my husband promised.

"How can you be certain?"

"Because your mother will not let anyone hurt her family." 

This was one of the hardest things I have done; perhaps more than when I had the tumultuous reunion with Cassia in Ba Sing Se. My body felt fragile and weak then, and now it was my heart. I love him this way- stripped of uniform and title- skin bared freely to the silver shafts of moonlight. His thick hair was tussled in his sleep, his full lips parted as he breathed deeply.

I gently settled at his back and combed a hand through his inky tresses. My wedding ring shone treacherously in the pale light and my throat tightened. I blinked furiously to keep my tears from falling; I bent down and kissed him softly.

"I love you," I murmured, and left before my heart would finally break my resolve. I slipped out of the palace unseen, grateful all the more to my seismic sense to help me such a feat. A great shadow fell over me the moment I emerged through the wall on the outskirts of the palace grounds. "Go back, Druk, I have to leave," I beseeched.

Zuko's dragon and faithful friend landed before me, and the ground rumbled beneath our feet. He shook his head and I caught the gleam of the moonlight on his wicked teeth. I made to walk past him, but Druk stepped into my path once more. I slammed my heels into the earth, and it vaulted me over the dragon.

My blood ran cold when I found myself pinned beneath the dragon's talons. I struggled to draw breath as fear gripped my very bones. Druk growled deep in his chest, and I bared my teeth up at him. "I have to protect my family," I panted, "Druk, you have to let me go."

Druk regarded me as his lips fell over his fangs; though his paw caged me still, and his eyes softened. Understanding burned in those orbs, and finally he withdrew. He sidled before me as he let out a soft rumble. We watched one another for a time until Druk approached me. He let out another soft growl that reverberated in my chest, and crouched before me.

I reached out my hand to touch his scales; the lull of the soothing warmth beneath his scales felt exactly how warm Iroh's skin felt to my hand. Slowly, I climbed onto his back and found a seat between two spines at the nape of his long neck. "Take me to Zaofu, Druk," I murmured haltingly, "…Please."

It was different than flying on Korra's glider. Druk seemed as at ease in the air as he was on land; I knew he would not falter. I felt his muscles shift and contract as he carried me out of the Fire Nation. The stars were muted and even the spirits that normally roamed the skies were absent. A ball of worry once again knotted in my chest as my thoughts went to Korra. I wrote to her, but she never replied. A year of distance- I could understand- Korra needed to heal from the venom that nearly destroyed her.

Another year passed and along with my next letter came an invitation to my wedding. Again, I received no reply, but I hoped. Oh, how I hoped. Korra was one of my dearest friends and I wanted her to be with me when I married Iroh. She never came.

I waited with dread for a little boy from the Earth Kingdom to be recognised as the Avatar…keeping that fear from everyone but Iroh. Those years of silence were kept at bay by hope, but if a new Avatar had been born- then Korra would have been gone. I leaned into Druk to keep the night's chill away and drifted off to sleep.

I awoke to the rising sun caressing my face. I sat upright and rubbed the remnants of sleep out of my eyes; we were flying over a massive swamp, whose canopy was so dense I could not see through it. I was nearly tossed off my perch when Druk let out a piercing cry, and he thrashed about in the air. I clutched the spine in front of me, and tried to find the cause of the dragon's unease. A vine was wrapped around Druk's back leg and was slowly pulling us out of the sky.

Neither Druk's fire or my cables could sever the tendrils that only grew in number. A dark burn or a small incision was the best we could achieve. Druk's strength failed him and we plummeted to the ground. I lost my grip as we crashed through the canopy; I caught myself- only just- with a hastily fired cable. I hung for several moments to calm the tattoo of my heartbeat. I unlocked the gear of my cables, and slowly touched ground.

"It's all right," I murmured to Druk, who was snapping at the retreating vine. I rested my hand on his snarling muzzle, and felt his hot breath comb through my wild hair. I looked about to take in the surrounding swamp; the canopy we had broken though was sealed over. No cartographer could ever hope to chart such a labyrinth. "Whatever that was," I announced softly, "I don't think we were meant to be killed."

Druk no longer bared his teeth, but that did not abate his unease. No sound carried through the swamp, nor any creature or spirit stir. It felt as though time simply did not exist- a tedious, eternal task that could be forgotten- in a place like this. Druk coiled around me protectively when I made to venure into the darkness.

"Druk, go back. I will be fine," I promised, urging the firebending master to take flight. I placed my hands on the sides of his regal visage, and rested my head on the crest of his snout. "Look after them for me, please?" I beseeched.

Druk gave me a hard look before finally shooting through the canopy. No vines made to stop or hinder him, and the weaker part of me wanted to call him back to me. But he was needed more in the Fire Nation. I pulled off the boots that dulled my muted seismic sense amidst the shallow water, and made my way to solid ground. I raised my foot up and slammed it against the pure soil. In that brief moment, I saw everything.

Unlike the night of Harmonic Convergence, every image fell into place. I could see my mother asleep in her bed, and tears fell at the sight of all the boxes. They were stacked along the walls of what used to be my bedroom; every photograph, everything of me, was stored out of sight. My father's cravat lay abandoned on her desk in the study.

A lone figure only a few meters ahead of me pulled my attention away from Republic City. I dropped into my horse stance and activated my cables. "Show yourself!" I challenged.

"Good stance, and excellent control. Atta girl!" an aged voice praised.


	4. Chapter 4

"Who are you?" I asked, eyes searching the thick shadows for the woman's approach.

"Technicalities included- I am your grandmother."

"Toph?" I whispered.

The ground beneath me lurched forward, and I tucked into a somersault to keep my center balanced. I punched my hands into the earth as I crouched on my haunches, and waited for Toph.

Her hands were clasped behind her as she stopped in front of me. She held out a hand, but I ignored the offer and rose to my feet myself. "Just like your mother," she laughed dryly.

"Which she got from you, as is my understanding," I quipped.

"A princess with attitude- I like it," Toph smirked as my eyes narrowed upon her slight frame. She waved for me to follow her, and I heard her mutter, "I finally get ready to soak my feet in mud for a week after getting right of Twinkletoes' pitiful reincarnation-"

"-Korra was here?! Oh thank the spirits, she's alive. Is she all right?" I demanded earnestly.

"Besides being the wimpiest, whiniest Avatar ever? Yes. She was convinced I had to help her because the world needs her. Phah!"

"The world does need her- perhaps not in the way you think it does," I argued.

"Hmph, you've been around Tenzin and Sugar Queen…biggest pair of softies."

"The same certainly cannot be said for you," I reminded her, "The last time you sought company of your family and friends was _years_ ago."

"Who was your father again?" Toph sighed.

"Councilman Enos Hsiao."

"That's right, the politician. Figures," she grunted.

I withheld my retort; my father was more than a politician. He was a good man, an even better father. Silence fell, and we reached Toph's home deep within the swamp.

"I would sleep now while you can- if you're going to Zaofu, who knows when the next decent rest you can get is," Toph urged, and pointed to the bed tucked away in the warmth of the shadows.

I removed my cables and set them at the foot of the bed; I unbound my hair, and Toph's head tilted to the side when I placed the hairpin-cum-knife on the bedside table.

"I wondered where that had gotten to," she mused, and the corners of her lips twitched.

"This saved my life," I announced softly.

"Good. It served its purpose then."

I sat on the edge of the bed and watch Toph settled in front of the fire. I did not know what I felt more strongly than the other- awe, at finally meeting her or my frustration at her indifference to the world outside the swamp.

"I can feel your uncertainty- go on, say it."

"Why did you not come when my mother lost her bending?"

"I knew I wasn't what she needed, and you all left for the South Pole to see Sugar Queen before I could have reached the city," Toph dismissed, crafting a recliner slope out of the earth to rest upon.

"That does not excuse you from not even sending her word! She believed she lost the only part of her that connected you to her, Toph, and you let her feel that way!" I accused, refusing to let her mistake away.

"Why would she have needed me when she had you?" the infuriating woman wondered as she picked at the dirt between her toes.

"Because you're her mother."

"I don't need your nagging on my parenting skills. Get some rest and then go off to Zaofu."

"You refuse to admit you were afraid and would not have known what to do for her, and that makes you a greater fool," I spat, and slipped under the bedcovers before my temper truly got the best of me.

"Kuvira's forces have the city surrounded."

Habit had me sliding out of bed to grasp the hairpin-cum-knife, and dropping low to the ground. I regarded Toph with vision still blurred with sleep.

"Korra is there?"

"She's not in any shape to saving anyone," she replied.

I strapped my cables across my back and fastened my hair into a thick plait. I grimaced at the tightness in my abdomen, but gave it little thought. "How far do I have until I get to Zaofu?" I wondered.

"Just past sundown- if you really set your mind to it."

I stopped at the mouth of the cave beneath the tree to regard her over my shoulder. I turned to face her, and pressed my fist in the open palm of my other hand as I bowed. "Thank you," I murmured, and then sprinted away. I ran until my legs felt constricted and hot, and with a rumble I let the earth carry me away on a rocky tide.

No vines made to stop me or otherwise encumber my plight to the home of the metal clan. Korra once again came to the forefront of my mind when I finally broke through the thick line of trees swaddled in vines. What did that mean- Korra _wasn't in any shape to be saving anyone_? The poison had been extracted by Su; surely its effects were not permanent? I never told her, but I had seen Korra's tears fall the day Jinorra received her tattoos.

Perhaps it was not a physical affliction, but one of the mind. Korra had more than her share of tribulations; perhaps her frailty brought on by Zaheer and the Red Lotus had crafted some sort of blockage. My smooth, elongated strides faltered when Zaofu came into the farthest sight of my seismic sense.

Mecha tanks, airships, and countless soldiers surrounded the city. No one stood outside the city walls to defend it. I leaned against a boulder to catch my breath and take a long draw from the water skin strapped at my hip. The taut, tugging sensation lingered around my stomach- but a ball of dread weighed heavily upon my heart. _So many to claim Zaofu for Kuvira, and yet no help came for the metal clan._ I took a worry laden breath, and then pressed on.

Hours trickled by, and the remaining distance grew smaller still. The sun was dipping behind the crest of the mountains in the west when I reached the plains that overlooked the city. Column upon row of tents littered the otherwise uninhabited fields. And yet not one of them was occupied. Kuvira's camp was deserted.

Warily, I slipped into the city by dropping into the collapsed tunnel Aiwei had used to escape. Bending the debris out of my way, I worked my way to mouth of the tunnel beneath Aiwei's home and then pressed on to the city's center. I ducked into the shadows at the sight of the patrol that encircled the plaza. The proud, free citizens of Zaofu were on their knees in supplication to the proud tyrant atop the stairs. Kuvira stood triumphant with the twins and Su encased in platinum cages at her feet.

It looked too similar to the great metal cage that Amon shoved me into years ago. A strong part of me wanted to take as many soldiers as I possibly could before I was neutralized. But the innocent people had seen enough violence, and so I stayed my hand. From my niche amidst the darkness, I looked to Su.

My aunt look haggard, defeated, but otherwise unscathed. Her peridot eyes dimmed at the sight of her husband and elder son being taken away Bataar Jr.'s order. I was already stepping out of hiding as Su began to bow her head. I would not let her believe her family had abandoned her.

My cables wrapped around the two soldiers nearest me, and I crashed them together. I let them fall to the ground, unconscious, with a clatter. I wanted to be heard. A ripple of whispers coursed through the people when they recognised me. "When I was a just seventeen- I was forced to kneel before a man who demanded we follow him, who stood above others and called himself superior. I was then forced to kneel to that same man as he killed my father," I called out, my voice strong. I walked along the rows of soldiers that edged the pathway to stop at the bottom of the stairs.

Su's head snapped up and her eyes shone brightly as they met mine. The twins grinned broadly, and I smirked, when Bataar Jr. looked ill at ease. Let the betrayer squirm like a worm…

"But I refused to yield to Amon; I refused to yield to the dark spirits that laid siege to Republic City- I refuse to bow to another tyrant now."

"There isn't a leader like me. I am the Great Uniter."

"You claim to be individual, but there is no difference between you, Amon, Tarrlok, Unalaq, and _Ozai_. I said it once before, but I will say it again. Peace through submission is not unity…nor will it be founded upon terror tactics," I spoke, and my words rang through the silence around us.

"I encourage you to follow your family to the prison camp," Kuvira smirked, knowing exactly how to play the game now.

"Better loyal to a family in chains than the monster who called them kin, who had them put in chains," I hissed, and spat at her feet, "There will always be traitors thirsting for power like you, Kuvira."

I gave them no trouble as a soldier frog marched me away.


	5. Chapter 5

"Kailyn, what were you thinking?" Su worried as we were escorted to our cell.

"Last time I checked, a rescue involves not handing yourself over," Wing drawled.

"Careful, brother mine, that's a Crown Princess of the Fire Nation you're talking to," his twin snickered.

"What your cousin did was very brave," Bataar Sr. scolded, "And chose a wise plan of action."

"Who else came with you? Did Korra send you?"

"I came with no one, nor did I see any sign of the Avatar," I mumbled. We remained silent until the guards shoved us into our cell. My blood ran cold and my head felt dangerously light as I stepped onto the prison floor.

 _Platinum_.

"Kailyn?" Su pressed.

"It's just platinum- could be worse," Wei began ignorantly.

To my surprise, it was Huan that silenced him. Without saying a word, his hand snaked out and cuffed the young man upside the head. I flashed him an appreciative smile.

"Please, stop fighting," Su sighed, and sagged against the wall. Her husband wordlessly settled next to her; my aunt's head sagged against his shoulder, and her gleaming eyes drifted shut. We all took that as a means to get ourselves settled.

I made to sit cross-legged on the floor, but winced loudly at the keen ache that shot through my hips, and my abdomen twinged in protest.

"Kailyn, are you all right?" Bataar Sr. asked, which caused Su's eyes to snap open.

I waved him off, but I knew my face was pale. "Too little food- too much adrenalin," I wagered, "I did leg it from the swamps after Druk went back to the Fire Nation."

"Come here," Su murmured knowingly, and opened her arms.

I hid my grimace behind my curtain of hair as I crawled over to her. I rested my head against the pillow of her thigh, and smiled softly when her fingers threaded through my hair. "My mother doesn't know," I confessed, "Nor Iroh."

"Oh, Kailyn…"

The cell door snapped open and Kuvira stepped into the cell. "Does the Fire Lord believe I will tolerate this act of war?" she demanded.

"I came as a member of the Beifong family- not an assassin or ambassador sent by Fire Lord Izumi. My acts were my own," I answered coolly as I sat upright. Kuvira looked down at me despondently, but gaze did not waver. "I acted out of loyalty," I added, "An ideal you're clearly not familiar with." At that, the twins sniggered. Kuvira's brows furrowed slightly, and she left without saying a word.

"Lin would be so proud of you," Su praised softly.

"If she doesn't turn me into rubble at the end of this," I grumbled, and surprisingly fell asleep.

The ache in my hips and the tightness of my stomach did not ease, and was accompanied by clockwork nausea. I felt utterly mortified- it was horrid enough to be locked in a cell with five other people; a new degree of misery was added when someone, meaning me, was clearly ill.

"Kailyn, you need to drink some water," Su urged, and pressed the wooden cup into my clammy hand.

"You didn't eat anything weird like an elbow leech when you were in the swamp, did you?" Wing teased.

"No," I chuckled weakly, "Our grandmother had perfectly normal food." I slowly sat upright and took a small sip of water. The rolling nausea abated briefly until I made to stand up. "Bucket!" I groaned frantically.

Huan hastily shoved the otherwise unused bucket into my lap. To further my embarrassment, I vomited the militant breakfast I had been portioned that morning.

Su's lips tensed into a thin line and she strode to the cell of our door. She pounded her fist against it, and the narrow slot open to reveal suspicious eyes. "Tell Kuvira she needs to send for a healer," my aunt ordered.

"Why? Someone have the sniffles?" the guard scoffed.

"The person in question is Princess Kailyn of the Fire Nation, wife to General Iroh, and only child to Lin Beifong," Bataar Sr. announced coldly, "Who I am sure will want to know exactly how she was treated whilst under your 'care'. Go find a healer."

Wei and Wing regarded their father something akin to awe; Su beamed at her husband and pecked his lips. I smiled at my uncle before I left another grim deposit in the bucket.

"You were with my mother? Where?" Su asked as one of the guards scuttled away.

"Mhm," I said, and paused to take a drink to clear the acrid taste in my mouth, "She's living in the swamp."

"No way!" Wing exclaimed.

"We haven't seen Grandma Toph in years!" Wei added.

"Kailyn," Su began softly, immediately changing the light mood in the cell, and settled on the balls of her feet to rest a hand on my knee. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure none of the boys were listening in. "Sweetie…when was the last time you had your menses?" she finished.

"A couple of months ago, but that's normal for me. Mum panicked about it years ago and took me to a healer…the healer told me that my sporadic cycle was caused by my rigorous bending," I explained, though I did not understand what my aunt was trying to deduce.

Kuvira and a waifish man entered the cell shortly after my reply; the former stood by as the medic set up a canvas screen supported by bamboo poles. Clearly, Kuvira was taking no chances of bringing any metal within our control.

"Princess Kailyn?" the medic confirmed, a mere formality, to which I nodded my head, "Symptoms?"

"Nausea is the most aggressive, fatigue, variating discomfort," I listed.

"Overall discomfort, or specific?" he prompted as he placed the head of his stethoscope over my right lung. "Breathe- in…now out," he instructed softly.

"My hips and abdomen, but recently…" I trailed off as my cheeks flushed pink. "I've been experiencing some breast tenderness," I finished hastily, and Su gave me a sympathetic smile as she took my hand in hers.

At my reply, the medic withdrew his stethoscope and draped it over his neck as his brow furrowed. "May I lift your shirt, Princess?" he inquired softly.

I nodded wordlessly and he set about his unknown task. He rolled my tunic up until it rested below the swell of my breasts. He took in my unassuming abdomen, and then slowly placed his hands upon my bare skin. I tensed at the contact, which earned me a chiding look from the patient man. He pressed into me, gauging if the tension was centred in one location I assumed, and then drifted to the line of my trousers. My face burned hot, and I wanted to hide my face from the man.

"Princess, when was your most recent blood cycle?" the medic asked as he pulled my shirt down.

"Four months," I wagered uncertainly, "I have never been…regular."

"In spite of your medical history with irregularity, I have my diagnosis. You are pregnant."

Kuvira's brow raised; Su's face paled; whereas my heart leapt for joy, and yet managed to shatter into pieces all at once. Iroh and I were going to have a baby. Iroh had no way of knowing… My hand instinctively fell over my stomach as tears began to well in my eyes.

"You cannot keep a pregnant woman in these conditions," Su announced coolly.

"She is free to go anytime she likes- so long as she kneels before me and won't come back to any territory under Earth Empire control," Kuvira supplied.

I knew exactly what she entailed. I would be paraded around before the very people who witness my defiance of Kuvira's rule. Not only that, but I would willingly turn my back on my family. My eyes narrowed to slits, and I slowly approached the tyrant. I stopped when our noses almost touched. "You are asking me to go against what is in my very blood. A Beifong does not cast aside their kin when in need. A Fire Nation Princess kneels only to those deserving that respect," I informed her with firm contrition, "I will say what my father spoke to Amon. _A strong man stands for himself; a stronger man stands for others. No matter how hard you howl as the wind- I, the mountain, will not bow._ "

"I believe your father kneeled, broken, before Amon in the end," Kuvira remarked with a smirk. Wei surged forward, but his twin held him at bay. She turned her attention to the medic and jerked her head in the direction of the door. "We're finished here," she dismissed. The men gathered around Su and me, and tensed when Kuvira paused in the doorway. "Princess Kailyn, I suggest you take great care…such a small thing is so fragile," she drawled.

"GET. OUT!" Su snarled, and the cell door slammed shut.


	6. Chapter 6

I sagged against the wall as my trembling knees finally gave out. All but Su regarded me worriedly; the former's arms folded around me and I buried my hot face into the crook of her neck. My heart ached…she smelled wrong. She did not smell of heat and sandalwood, like Iroh, but what hurt more was that she smelled nothing like my mother.

"I can't do this, Su," I panted as my aunt pressed a cool cloth to the nape of my neck, as she had done every morning previous.

"You can, and you will," my aunt assured me, "You need to stay strong for your child- just like how you are strong for Lin."

My head sagged into the cradle of my hands as I tried to come to grips with Su's words. For so long, I struggled to prove that I was more than Lin Beifong's daughter- that I was, in my own right, my own person…an adult. I wanted to live up to the Beifong legacy. And yet, I was reduced to wanting my mother like a small child.

The sound of our cell door unlocking caused all of us to turn our heads. A guard, whose face was hidden by his helmet, stepped inside and regarded us. Su helped me to my feet, but kept an arm around my waist. Eight more soldiers entered the already cramped cell.

"On your feet," the first guard ordered, "We're moving out."

"Where are you taking us?" Bataar Sr. inquired.

"No concern of yours," the guard grunted, and motioned for the others to make us fall into line between the lot of them. Su gave the guards a warning look when the two of them made to place their hands on me, causing them to retract them.

"The domes," I gasped when we were led out of our cage.

"Why would Kuvira order them to be taken down?" Wei began.

"Yea- you think she would want them to keep everyone else in the world out!" Wing continued.

"Not if they intend to scrap the metal," Bataar Sr. mused darkly, "I'm sure all of that intends to be put to use."

We were herded like cattle into yet another cell-only this one was on the bed of a large truck. I tried to keep the tremor out of my hands as I heaved myself into it. My mind tumbled back to when my mum's metalbenders were taken away to Amon in a truck just like this one. I settled in the far corner and threaded my fingers together; it was indescribable- the brief joy I felt the moment my feet touched earth. In such a small amount of time, so many vibrations called out in tandem before they all fell silent. I toyed with the worn leather thong that normally bound my hair as we waited to depart.

"Will Korra come back for us?"

"If she can- Opal will try with or without the Avatar's help."

"That's enough chatter," one of the soldiers barked, and slammed a hand against the bars.

I bowed my head and let my curtain of hair fall over my face as my hands came up to it. A thousand thoughts crashed like a tempest, and they all returned to my mother and my husband. The endless questions of how they were going to find me, and how was Iroh to help me protect our unborn child…

"They'll find us," Huan remarked gently, and said nothing further.

"It looks like we will have quite the drive, I suggest we get comfortable," Su announced as the engine started. She pulled my hair away from my face, and combed through the tangles with her fingers. "Tell me," she urged, in a gentle tone I was grateful my mother saved it for special occasions.

"Why are you all acting like something is wrong with Korra?"

"She couldn't stay in the Avatar State very long when she took on Kuvira, and that makes me worry…she wasn't completely herself."

"She must have difficulties entering the Spirit World, then," I concluded grimly, and rubbed my face nervously. The world needed the Avatar, more than ever, and yet Korra was haunted still. I knew that fear- I had been chased for years by the memory of _her_. Such acute damage left scars unseen to the eye. Zaheer, and his comrades, were imprisoned or dead- that meant there was no physical threat posed to my friend- but the poison harmed her still. My mind wandered to the night the Earth Queen was assassinated, to when I saved my half-sister…confronting the monster that pursued me from the shadows. I had never been so vulnerable, and I had never been so seemingly- infinitely- strong.

Perhaps Korra could find peace in a confrontation different than her usual caliber. I drew in a deep breath and murmured, "I'm going to try something." I settled on the floor of the jostling truck cab, my hands resting on my belly, and cleared my mind. What I was attempting came unprecedented and fueled by ravenous hope.

Entering the Spirit World felt like falling asleep, that pleasant drifting sensation as old as time. I landed amidst the gentle blanket of fog, and made out a figure faintly amidst the trees.

"I never imagined Kailyn Hsiao-Beifong, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, would find time to venture the Spirit World," a familiar voice mused.

"Nor I," I confessed wryly, "Yet here I am."

His hair had grown wild since his trial; I felt unsure how to approach the man further.

"Could you not bring yourself to visit me in my lowly prison in person? I thought you would like it- it's beneath a mountain," he spat.

"That would be impossible given that I am a prisoner myself. Kuvira has arrested the Beifongs of Zaofu…and me."

A dark chuckle tumbled past his quirked lips and Zaheer rose to his feet. "If you seek sympathy, spirits forbid- pity, you will not find it here," he snickered, and walked around me like a moose-lion.

"No, I have come to ask for your help. Korra cannot let go of what happened that day upon Laghima's Peak. I ask that you help her get past it all."

"Why should I help the Avatar? Why should I help save the niece of the woman, who killed P'Li?" Zaheer snarled, his voice cracked at the name, and he stepped incredibly close to me.

"Perhaps you have changed, Zaheer," I mused lowly, "These years in prison… Perhaps you will let a tyrant threaten the lives of thousands of free people when before you would have liberated them yourself. You may be an anarchist, but you're not a monster. Kuvira is- she is willing to harm my _unborn_ child if it means to serve as a means to her end. I cannot let that happen- to me or anyone. She is purging the Earth Kingdom of whom she deems undesirable. Zaheer, if Korra comes to you, I ask that you help the Avatar."

"What debt do I owe you and wretched family?!"

"Nothing. You owe the people you set free from an unjust queen _everything_. You brought this upon them, Zaheer," I answered with contrition, "So it is only right that you help finish it." The man turned his back on me, his lips twisted in a silent snarl, and I stretched out my hand to grasp his arm. He tensed beneath my touch, but did nothing else. "I know my words will not bring her back, nor mean anything to you, but I am sorry. Many things happened that day that never should have," I confessed softly, and withdrew my hand.

"If the Avatar visits me," Zaheer announced, "I may help her…"

"Thank you, Zaheer," I replied, and left the Spirit World and the man to his reprieve.

"Kailyn?" Su pressed, sounding panicked, when I awoke.

I blink owlishly at my aunt as my mind still swam and her face came into focus after a few blinks. At first, I believed her to be my mother.

"Kailyn?" she demanded.

"I'm fine- I think I may have gotten Korra the help she needs," I answered, and gave Su a tired smile.

Su threw her arms around me and she whispered into my hair, "You wonderful girl- you brilliant girl."


	7. Chapter 7

We were taken to what appeared to be a factory; canvas and metal tents surrounded a large building in the centre, but upon closer inspection I concluded that the area served as another purpose.

"Kuvira got the idea from the work you began in the Fire Nation," Bataar Jr. boasted when he followed my eyes, "A re-education facility for the…less than desirable apprehended under the rule of the Great Uniter-"

"-My vision is helping people, not programming them into dogmatic drones," I seethed, and if the bars of the cage were not platinum they would have been crushed beneath my hands. Bataar Jr. regarded me darkly, but I was not afraid of him. "You are hurting innocent people."

"Sir, we are ready to begin Phase One," a man announced as he trotted around the truck.

"Excellent."

Su and Bataar Sr. exchanged worried looks, but said nothing. Five platinum holding cells were rolled to the back of the truck with two soldiers abreast each; Bataar Sr. stood feebly in front of the contraptions with two guards of his own. My eyes fell upon the colossal tank settled at the end of the railway as I was pushed past, and my heart sunk at the petite figure standing beside it.

"How could she?" I whispered, eyeing Zhu Li still.

"With how Varrik treated her, it's a wonder why she didn't quit sooner," Huan mused.

My blood ran cold as we were transported closer to the weapon headed to an elevator; the size alone trumped any mecha suit, or tank in the United Force's battalion. Should Kuvira bring this weapon to Republic City, how was my mother or husband to combat such raw ingenuity?

"Let's get to work!" Bataar Jr. ordered as the lift's doors shut.

"You're taking us underground?" Wei scoffed.

"We're not waterbenders, blockhead," Wing added.

"Out of sight- seemingly invisible," I corrected as I took in the soldier's grim faces.

"A princess with a brain- that's a first," one snorted.

"A princess with the blood of a Beifong," I warned, "I'm sure you've heard of my husband's great aunt, Azula…my husband says I possess her savagery at times." I let the half-truth fester like a disease in their minds, and smirked.

Harsh, green lights lined the tunnel's walls and lead to a huge door. Two mecha tanks hauled the door open, and revealed our new accommodation. A suspended cage, comprised of wood, fastened by rope to ceiling fixtures of platinum; above earth, so that the strain of earthbending would be too great. A mecha tank lifted us up one by one and tipped us into the cage, and once they locked our cage they left us.

"So when is Iroh bringing an army to come bust us out?" Wei asked.

"He won't," I answered, "He doesn't know I left for Zaofu…he'll assume I went to Republic City to my mother. And Izumi will not take the offensive."

"But you're the Crown Princess- her blood by marriage! Surely that means she will fight for you," Su protested.

"Izumi know that she cannot claim the defensive if she were to attack the Earth Empire for my freedom unless Kuriva confirms that I am her political prisoner. Izumi knows that I want our people safe- most especially my husband. Su, she will not be another fire lord that tears the world apart with war," I explained. I settled in the corner of the suspended cage and rested my head against the wooden beam. I fell into a peaceful lull, soothed by the steady beat of my heart. The others were quiet, too, so the cage fortunately did not stir about- for that I was grateful.

The cable joined to the plank my back rested upon trembled just so, and my eyes snapped open. I lurched upright and wildly looked around the dimly lit walls of the cave. _Seismic sense_ \- I was certain…it had to be.

"Kailyn?" Bataar Sr. inquired.

"Did anyone feel that?" I panted, still darting my eyes about. I could feel the trembles in the depth of my bones, it had to be my mother.

"Kailyn, you must have dreamt it, you should get some more rest," Su murmured tenderly.

Perhaps she was right…but a part of me waited for a piece of the wall to crumble away to reveal her lithe form.

* * *

"Everyone, except the princess, against the wall," a guard ordered the following morning.

"Kailyn is not going anywhere without us," Wei challenged as he and his twin stepped between them and me.

"That's right- so back off," Wing continued.

Kuvira silently strode into the cave and looked me at me over the twins' shoulders. "I will use force to get her out," she announced smoothly.

I placed my hands on Wei and Wing's shoulders, and gave them a soft smile. "I'll be all right, don't get hurt on my account," I chided, and squeezed between them.

"This way, Princess," Kuvira drawled.

I followed them back to the surface, and my blood ran cold at the sight of the giant tank further down the track. I regarded several technicians dart about, and I asked, "Where is Zhu Li?" I demanded softly.

"That traitor thought she could stop my progression of greatness," Kuvira dismissed. We walked up the stairs that led to the gargantuan ray where Bataar Jr. waited.

"Pleasure as always, cousin," the aforementioned greeted.

I held my tongue- witty remarks held no power…not when nearly a hundred troops surrounded me on all sides.

"Fire the weapon, let's show the princess our endeavor," Kuvira ordered.

Bataar Jr. returned his attention to the control panel, and initiated the weapon. He raised a pair of binoculars to his eyes, and surveyed the intended target area. Zhu Li was somewhere out there, I concluded grimly, she was to pay the traitor's price. "Opal?!" Bataar gasped, and spun around frantically, "We have to stop the test!"

The earth shuddered behind the raw ferocity as the ray's platform was tilted to one side; the burst of spirit energy from the barrel thundered in my bones. The beam blasted through the mountain behind the abandoned town as though it was steel cutting through wet paper. I was haunted by the possible reality of how that weapon could be turned on the citisens of the Fire Nation- how that my husband may face such daunting destruction when Kuvira marched on Republic City.

"Kailyn!"

After being away in the Fire Nation for three years, then weeks of being held captive, I saw my mother. Her fists trembled tellingly as she stared up at me. My eyes pooled with tears, but I refused to blink…if my gaze faltered, I feared my mother would vanish like smoke.

"MUM!"


	8. Chapter 8

"Kailyn!" my mother cried again, and cleared a direct path through the soldiers to me.

Kuvira hauled me to my feet, and her blade pressed to the hypersensitive skin at my throat. I struggled against her hold, but she seemed unyielding. "Surrender and I promise that I will not hurt her," she announced coolly.

"Don't! Mum, you get everyone out of here- I'll be fine!"

"Silence!" Kuvira hissed in my ear, "Wouldn't want to strain yourself, princess, you're delicate now…"

"Get your hands off my daughter!" my mother snarled, peridot eyes blazing. She made to charge Kuvira, but she was pushed back by an advancing mecha tank.

The soldiers and tanks closed in around my family, and I sagged against Kuvira. Freedom had tasted so sweet, and it turned to ash in my mouth. My eyes dropped to my stomach, where only the faintest of swells lay hidden beneath my worn tunic. The earth beneath me thundered a tell-tale song, my mother's cacophonous notes rumbled in my ears. Su leapt onto the platform and Kuvira lurched away from me. I slid between the railing, and stumbled when my feet landed on the dry, packed earth. I vaulted into a hand off, digging my fingers into the earth, and sent a boulder hurtling into a soldier's back.

"Kailyn!" my mother barked, and sent a cable soaring towards me.

I grasped the end in my hand and coiled the cable around my wrist; I slid along the ground, using the cable to knock Kuvira's men off their feet until I circled around to my mother. We dropped into identical stances and set about knocking down our opponents one by one. Slowly, but surely, we were pushed back by Kuvira's men until we were forced to make a wall around us to hold off the mecha tanks.

Wei and Su came soaring through the opening before I sealed it off to the advancing soldiers. I slammed my foot against the ground to get a layout of the number of men we had to take out before we could escape. _We were surrounded_. My mother pressed her ear to the wall, only to jerk back when the wall was brought crumbling down by the soldiers. My eyes dropped to my stomach, before they met Kuvira's cool green.

The earth rumbled and rolled around my family, causing my mother to wheel about. Toph lowered her ams as she stood beside Opal's sky-bison, Juicy. Kuvira's neutral façade faltered at the sight of the original metalbender. The five of us hurried to climb into the saddle where Bolin, Bataar Sr., Huan, and Zhu Li awaited.

"Take my hand," Bolin urged when he saw that my arms were trembling, and I smiled appreciatively.

My grandmother shot out her hand to point at Kuvira. "You give metalbenders a bad name!" she proclaimed, and then let Lin assist her onto the sky-bison.

I lurched forward when Juicy surged into the air, but mother caught me by my arms. Her peridot eyes narrowed as she took in the bruises clearly painted by fingers. "Who?" she demanded behind clenched teeth.

"Mum, it's-"

"-Don't you dare say what they did to you was nothing," she interjected, and cupped my face, "She kidnapped you. Let her soldiers manhandle you."

"Only because Kailyn humiliated her in front of _everyone!"_ Wei boasted.

"Quiet, boy," my mother spat. She returned her attention to me, and her eyes softened as she regarded me. Her arms shot forward to envelope me and held me to her fast. _Sweat, earth, and metal- the scents I had missed for so long._

"Mum," I began tremulously, but my voice cracked. Hot tears rolled down my dirty cheeks as my shoulders quivered. For so long, an eternity it seemed, I had been without her and the only thing I could now that she was with me was cry…

My mother pressed her lips to my clammy brow. She nudged her nose against mine, and then cradled the back of my head. "Spirits above, you're more trouble than ever," she laughed wetly, "I thought marriage was supposed to mellow people out."

"That's a lie," Bataar Sr. chuckled knowingly, flashing Su a wink.

"Just wait until Iroh hears what you have been up to!" Bolin added.

"Oh, don't worry," my mother remarked, "We are going to have a nice chat when he arrives in the city."

"Mum!" I groaned, "You cannot beat up my husband."

"I don't see why not- he's not doing his job," she quipped, and pulled me closer to keep me from protesting further.

We landed amidst the safety of a small forest. Su helped me dismount, her hands on the small of my back and across my shoulders, which caught my mother's attention. My mother looked back to the test site still smoking off in the distance before joining Toph and Su.

"Thanks for coming to save us, Mum," Su announced softly.

"Yeah, thanks, Chief," my mother added hesitantly, "I'm sorry for what I said last night. I was just…you know."

"Look, I know I wasn't a great mother, but one way or another- I ended up with two great kids. Good enough to risk my boney ol' butt for, anyway. If you can find some way not to hate me, maybe that's enough- at least for me," Toph professed as I came up behind her.

"Me too," my mother agreed, and wrapped an arm around Toph in an informal embrace.

Toph wrapped a loose hand around my wrist and tugged me beside her. "You are just like your mother, you know, loyal and over-confidant. I am honoured to be your grandmother…" the eldest Beifong praised, but then grumbled, "I am miffed at you a little, though- I am too young to be a great grandmother- that should have been Sugar Queen's job first."

"What?" my mother demanded, voice dangerously soft. I knew that tone well enough- I heard it when Iroh came to ask for her blessing, and I heard it now…not a good sign.

"And I'm the blind one! Can't you feel the baby?!" Toph laughed incredulously, and shook her head.

"Baby," my mother repeated lamely.

"Surprise…" I mumbled lamely.

Su laughed along with Toph when my mother went terribly pale and sagged to her knees. My mother brought her hand up to rub her face as she blinked blearily at the ground.

"Mum, say something," I urged.

A tell-tale growl sounded from my mother and she lurched to her feet. "Your husband is going to be gravel," she announced.

"My money's on Aunt Lin," Wei whispered to his twin.

"Iroh can just zap her with some lightning," Wing scoffed.

"And risk upsetting Kailyn? Not likely."

"Will you two shut up?!" I spat, "We have bigger things to worry about like Republic City being checked off Kuvira's conquered list than a hypothetical fight between my mother and my husband!"

"Already having the mood swings," one began.

"I feel sorry for Iroh either way," the other chimed.

"We're leaving," my mother announced before there could be anything more said, and all of us knew better than doddle.

The wind and my mother's fingers combed through my hair as we traveled through the night. My mother did not press me further about my pregnancy, and that unnerved me. Her fingers twisted an unknown plait before undoing it, and then repeated the process.

"I missed you…every day," I murmured.

"Kailyn, you know I am not good at this," she replied coolly once she was certain everyone but Opal was asleep, unable to hear our soft conversation.

"At least tell me why you avoided me like I was a disease," I demanded softly.

"Because I can't lose you, and that terrifies me. I thought I lost you when you put yourself on the line on Laghima's Peak… In the Fire Nation you would be safe, and so I did my best to keep you there."


	9. Chapter 9

"Mum-"

"-It's my job to keep you safe, always has been. You're my top priority, Kailyn."

"But I needed to keep our family safe," I protested.

"This is what it must have been like when I quarreled with my mother," she huffed, and rolled her eyes, "Too stubborn to know what to do with it." I smiled at her- nothing had changed, she was the same. I shifted closer to her, and in that movement my tiny swell brushed against her side.

"What are you feeling?" I pressed when her eyes snapped to my abdomen.

"Helpless," she confessed, "I don't know anything that will be of use to you when you need it…it's a lot to take in on the same day I discover that Kuvira took you prisoner as well…"

"Have you seen much of Korra?" I asked.

My mother seemed relieved at the change of subject. "She's back in the city after traveling who knows where in the Earth Kingdom. I don't know who was worse to deal with when we thought she was missing- Tenzin or Asami. Those ladies are almost inseparable... Once we get to Republic City, I will get you a ticket to the Fire Nation," she announced suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?" I demanded before I hastily continued, "My husband will surely be at the front lines to defend the city, and my place is at his side- not tucked away from the fight like a glass figurine! Who else is going to look after you?"

"I can take care of myself, and it's not just you to worry about anymore," my mother countered gruffly.

"Do not scold me like a child- I am well aware of the responsibility I have to Iroh's and my unborn child. Beifongs take care of each other, and that is exactly what I intend to do."

My mother growled and narrowed her eyes; I knew that she would not argue any further on the matter. My mind turned to what awaited us in Republic City…another battle- only five or so years since the Equalist Revolution. My greatest worry was Korra. Would she be ready to face Kuvira a second time? It would take everything we had to hold back the Great Uniter's forces from taking the city…Korra could not afford to have any qualms this time. Defeat could not be an option.

* * *

Tears welled in my eyes as the landscape of Republic City was capped in the dawn's pink sky. I let out a tremulous laugh and assured my mother, whose brow shot into her hairline, "Hormones- pregnancy has them all over the place already." My attention darted to a tell-tale figure gliding towards us.

"Lin, I thought I made it clear you were not to go off on some unauthorised operation," Tenzin grumbled as he dropped onto Juicy's back.

"Kuvira made nailed her coffin shut when she decided to arrest my daughter as well," my mother retorted.

"Kailyn?" Tenzin wondered, and blinked owlishly at me. I hurled myself into his arms and embraced him fiercely. His hand cupped the back of my head and his heavy exhale ruffled my hair at the crown of my head. "Thank the spirits, you're all right," he murmured, "When Iroh came to the city expecting to find you- it set him and Izumi into a haze…they were beside themselves."

"Is he still here?" I asked, raising my head.

"Of course- he's at the city hall."

"Looks like I know the landing site," Opal mused wryly, and steered Juicy to the city centre.

The city had only improved over the years. Spirit vines and people effortlessly lived together; trams and bridges dotted the city in a new age. "This is incredible," I breathed, peering over the saddle.

"Asami has done an amazing job," Tenzin agreed.

The doors to the city hall snapped open when we were about two blocks back, and squadrons of United Force soldiers lined the plaza. "Iroh," I gasped when I caught sight of him leaving the building, and vaulted over the saddle. I used my cables to swing to touch down on the street, landing only with a whisper. "Iroh!" I called over the many rows of men and women, but my husband seemed to be in deep conversation with Raiko. I growled, momentarily at a loss, until I raised my foot and slammed it against the street. The earth rumbled at my call, and a smile broke out on my face when Iroh's head snapped in my direction.

"Kailyn?!" he cried, and sprinted down the steps, "Kailyn!"

I met him halfway, uncaring of the soldiers I bumped into on my way, and laughed as he lifted me off my feet. He cupped the side of my face as he put me down, and then kissed me fiercely. "You can't do that to me ever again," he mumbled against my cheek as he peppered my face in dragging kisses, "No one knew where you had run off to!"

"I am sorry I left," I began.

"No, no, I understand- I just wish you would have told me."

"I love you," I sighed, and kissed him soundly. I had forgotten what heat tasted like.

"Enough," my mother announced, "You and me are going to have a nice chat, General."

"Mum."

"I am not letting this slide, Kailyn," my mother dismissed, and turned on my husband. "You let your _pregnant wife_ go off and try to take on Kuvira on her own. I have a right might to use you as my target practise- permanently," she growled.

My husband's face went ashen and then burned brighter than the sun in the span of mere moments. "Pregnant?" he repeated faintly, topaz eyes wide.

I wordlessly took his hand and placed it on my stomach, knowing that he was as familiar with my body as I was his. His fingertips tenderly curled into my flesh as I explained, "I found out when I was Kuvira's prisoner- I would never have put our child in jeopardy had I known. Iroh, I am sorry-"

"-I know. Spirits, I didn't think I could love you any more than I did," Iroh proclaimed, kissing me once more.

"That's great and all, but what is your plan for Kuvira's intended invasion?" my mother grumbled.

"We have prepared multiple lines of defense to limit Kuvira's mobility and access to the city."

"What's your plan to have your wife protected?"

"Lin, if there's one thing I have learned in my marriage to your daughter- it would be not to attempt to keep her away from the fight…especially when her family is involved."

"Kailyn, I don't think it would be safe for you to be out here when the fighting starts," my mother informed me.

"Mum, Kuvira took Zaofu from Su…and now- she threatens the place I called home. My father is buried here, remember? She doesn't get to take this city without me fighting to defend it," I countered, and knew that the dispute had turned in my favour, "He deserves his peace as much as the citisens of this city."

"Kailyn!"

My brow furrowed in brief disbelief at the owner of the voice, and a beaming smile broke out on my face. "Korra!" I cried happily when the Avatar hauled me into an embrace. "Look at your hair," I teased, ruffling the short locks, "So modern!"

"I've missed you, and would love to catch up, but we need to get the city ready. Where do you want to start?"

"The under-city and the orphanage," I answered, "After a real shower and proper clothes."

"Allow me, Princess," my husband chuckled, and swung me onto his back.


	10. Chapter 10

"I assure you, there is plenty of space available in the Fire Nation. Fire Lord Izumi will have everything ready for you by the time the ship reaches the capital," I explained to the headmistress of the orphanage.

"Princess?" a soft voice asked, and I felt a hand tug on my breeches. I looked down and found a little boy gazing back at me; my heart fluttered in my chest when he looked terribly similar to one of the most important people in my life. Topaz eyes, fair skin, but curly black hair where there should have been straight…he looked like Iroh. "Where are we going?" he asked, and the worry in his mind caused his eyes to mist over.

He was so brave, despite being so small and so afraid. I held out my hands, to which he mirrored, and I pulled him onto the shelf of my hip. I carded my hand through his curls, and smiled tenderly at him. "The city won't be safe for a while, so I am sending you all to my home," I told him, "And when it's safe again, you can come back to the city."

"We have to leave?" he whimpered.

"Hey, hey, hey," I cooed, and tilted his head so that our eyes met. "I promise you, there will be people to take care of you. My home is the safest in the entire world- it's guarded by a dragon who loves to have his scales tickled… What's your name?"

"Ephraim."

"Ephraim, listen to me, I am not sending you away because I want to- but because it's my job to keep you all safe. Do you understand?" He nodded his head, but I could tell he wasn't thoroughly convinced. He had been abandoned before, whether the choice was intentional or not, and he didn't want to feel that way ever again. "Ephraim, can you give something to Fire Lord Izumi for me?"

"Really?"

I freed my hair from its plait and placed the metal clasp in his tiny hand. "I want you to give this to her, and ask her to look after you for me. Okay?" I smiled when he nodded eagerly, and he wiggled out of my arms. "Ephraim, I will come to the palace and bring you all back home," I promised. I watched the little boy hurry to his threadbare knapsack to safely tuck the hairpin inside. I had a vow to fulfill, and I refused to fail that child.

"Kailyn," my mother announced from the doorway, "It's time to get everyone out."

We watched the tense workers usher the children out of the orphanage. A familiar figure broke away from the queue, and wrapped his arms around my legs. "You will come get me, right?" he worried.

"I promise, Ephraim, this is my mum…you know Chief Beifong, right? It's our job to keep everyone safe."

"You're her mum?" Ephraim wondered.

My mother cocked a brow at the little boy and folded her arms across her chest. "That's right…"

"You keep her safe- promise?"

She seemed at a brief loss of words as she regarded the boy, and the corners of her lips twitched. "You have my word. Now get back in line, kid."

"Remember to find Fire Lord Izumi," I urged, and waved in farewell. "Mum, you need to work on your patience with children…that was just a taste," I chided, and smiled at her incredulous glare.

Her eyes fell to the faint swell that my hand rested on; those peridot orbs took on a strange light before they returned to their stoic glint. She walked out without saying a word.

"Right," I sighed, and followed her out.

"Is there any way I can get you to reconsider staying on Air Temple Island with President Raiko and me?"

"Not when Iroh will be out on the front lines," I reminded her. My mother rolled her eyes and growled softly as we walked to the car. I watched as United Force soldiers stationed themselves throughout the city, and knew I needed to get to Korra and Iroh. "I will see you when this is over," I told my mother, and trotted down the small set of stairs.

"Kailyn," she called after me. I felt the ground shift beneath my feet, pulling me back to her, and I found myself embraced my familiar arms encased in metal. "Be careful," she murmured, "And, please, don't get yourself hurt."

"You do the same," I returned, and embraced her fiercely. I left my mother and headed for the first line of defense against Kuvira on the outskirts of the eastern side of the city.

* * *

"Kailyn," Korra greeted me, surprised, as I ducked into Iroh's tent.

I kissed Iroh's cheek as I took my place at his side to look over the map laid out on the table. "What is the plan?" I asked softly.

"President Raiko is hoping to be able to talk Kuvira down before the fighting gets started," my husband explained.

"But we all know that Kuvira won't let that happen," Korra contined, "Kailyn, Kuvira has a legion of mecha tanks- can you do some damage to lessen those numbers?"

"With the help of the twins, I think it can be done. But what about that spirit weapon?"

"That is strapped to a colossal mecha tank," the Avatar informed me, "But maybe…if it comes to it- Lin and Su could hack away at it."

I poured over the map with the two of them for what felt like seconds before I felt the vibrations of what could only be a great leviathan awakening from its slumber. I was the first to raise my head, but Korra soon followed. The mountains seemed to shudder at their foundations as the great mecha tank strode into view.

"Positions," Iroh ordered as we stood in the mouth of the tent.

" _Kuvira, this is President Raiko. I order you to stand down. Turn your army around and leave,_ " Raiko transmitted over the radio behind us from his base on Air Temple Island.

" _You're in no position to give orders,_ " the self-proclaimed Great Uniter dismissed.

" _Stand down- or we will attack!_ " Raiko challenged.

I could feel Kuvira's smirk in her words and I tensed beside Iroh. " _I don't think you understand the power I possess,_ " she remarked idly, " _Let me make it clear._ "

The mecha tank raised its right arm, bearing the weapon, and took aim. A reverberating blast shook my bones, and Iroh instinctively tucked me behind him. A jet of violet issued from the barrel, decimating the United Forces' fleet docked throughout Yue Bay; they cleaved like butter under a hot knife, and my hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"Kailyn," Iroh murmured as the cannon shifted to take aim at our defenses. He went to the radio and asked urgently, "Mr. President, do have your order to engage?" Kuvira said something simultaneously, and I did not hear her.

" _Stop! We surrender. Republic City is yours,_ " Raiko announced.

" _Good. Turn your army and the Avatar over to me, and give Bataar your location,_ " Kuvira repled.

Iroh slammed the microphone onto its received, and I placed a hand between his tense shoulders. "Iroh," I began softly.

"I'm not surrendering!" Korra protested.

"Get Kailyn back to the city before she sees either of you," my husband instructed.

"I am not leaving," I argued.

One of his hands cupped the back of my neck and he pulled us close so that our foreheads touched. "And I will not have you and our unborn child locked away in another prison camp. Find a way to beat that thing, and stay safe. Find your mother," he murmured. He pressed his lips against my trembling ones, and gently pushed me in Korra's direction. "Korra, keep her safe and beat that thing," he finished.

"I will," the Avatar promised. I followed her lead as we retreated to the city. I hopped onto the back of her glider, and she carried us out of Kuvira's sight. "We need to get to Varrick's warehouse and come up with a plan," she said to me. I hummed my agreement, and we pressed on. "Just like old times, right?" she joked.

"I don't want today to end with me being blasted off another mountain," I grumbled, and Korra shot me a wry grin.

It was strange, to be the only occupants visible amongst the streets of the city. Air Temple Island came into view, and my thoughts drifted to my mother. Would Bataar Jr. take her into custody with the president, whilst his fiancée captured Iroh?

We burst into the warehouse through the double doors, and all eyes fell on us. "Raiko surrendered, it's down to us," Korra explained.

Bolin looked frustrated to the point of being terrified. "How are we supposed to fight an entire army, a mecha giant, and that crazy weapon?!" he exclaimed.

"We can't fight it," Asami explained, "But maybe we can cripple it." She turned to Zhu Li and asked, "Zhu Li, when you were spying on Kuvira, did you learn anything about that metal monster?"

Before Zhu Li spoke, I could sense her answer was going to be grim. "I had no idea they were even building it," she confessed.

"Guess Bataar Jr. is a better inventor than I thought- don't tell him I said that!" Varrick growled.

"That's it," Korra cried, cerulean eyes blazing bright, "Bataar Jr. built it- he'll know how to take it down! I say we capture him, and get him to talk."


	11. Chapter 11

Tenzin and I shared a brief look, and the airbender hummed his reservations. "Korra, Bataar Jr. is dogmatically loyal to Kuvira, it will take a lot to get him to talk," I began.

"I know it's a long shot, but it's the only chance we have, and if we don't…"

"Korra, I'm in," Tenzin decided.

"We'll need a stealth team of airbenders to get in and out of Bataar's airship unnoticed. Tenzin, Bumi, Jinorra, Kai- let's get going," Korra instructed.

"What about me?" Meelo asked faintly.

I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly. Korra knelt in front of him and flashed an apologetic smile. "Sorry, buddy. This mission counts on everyone being as silent as possible- and your farts are too much of a wild card." At that, the two of us shared a wry smile.

"I can be quiet!" Meelo retorted, only to let out a fart that went several octaves. The boy had the decency to blush and acquiesced, "Okay, point taken."

"You can look after me for General Iroh," I offered.

"Let's move out," Korra announced.

* * *

"She'll be fine," I murmured to Asami as she paced in front of me.

Her green eyes widened and she regarded me in a way she never had before. Asami looked afraid. She seemed to be waiting for me to start screaming at her, but I remained silent. "How did you figure it out?" she whispered.

"You look at her the way Iroh looks at me," I answered, and motioned for her to sit beside me. "Whether you are in love with her or not, you will always be my friend, Asami," I continued.

"But what will everyone else think?"

"Our friends will think no less of either of you," I replied, "And the rest of the world can piss off. You're in love with the Avatar, and you are friends with the Princess of the Fire Nation- no one in their right mind would upset you."

Asami wrapped her arms around me, and squeezed the breath out of me. "Kailyn, thank you," she mumbled into my hair.

"They're almost here," Su announced.

Six figures glided around the warehouse, and Korra was the first one through the doors. Relief relaxed Asami's shoulder, and I slowly unthreaded my arms from around her. Tenzin and Bumi carried the struggling Bataar Jr. and dropped him into a solitary chair. His eyes met all of ours, the former's boiling with contempt. Korra removed the gag and took a step back.

"You've made a terrible mistake," Bataar Jr. threatened, "Once Kuvira finds out that I'm missing- you're all done for."

I scoffed, and Korra countered, "That's why- before she finds out- you're going to tell us how to stop that mecha giant, or else."

"Or else, what?" Bataar Jr. goaded her.

Korra entered the Avatar State; the light in the room seemed dim compared to the brightness of her eyes. She advanced on Bataar Jr., and lifted him up from his chair by the roped that bound him.

He possessed the gall to smirk at her. "You won't hurt me. I know an empty threat when I see one."

Korra hesitated for a moment, but her eyes faded as she left the Avatar State. She released him, letting him drop to the floor, and Bataar Jr. let out a groan when he hit the unyielding cement.

"Do you know what wasn't an 'empty threat'?" I demanded faintly, "Kuvira's intent to use my unborn child against me if I did not stay in line."

Bataar Jr. remained indifferent. "Was this your best idea? You've lost- only you haven't accepted it yet," he chuckled.

I lunged forward, more than ready to reduce the man to rubble. Su held me back by reaching a hand back to place it on my chest. "Let me talk to him," she urged Korra. Her eyes shifted to her eldest, and they softened. She knelt before him. "Bataar-" she began.

Bataar Jr. glared venomously at her, going so far as to lean away from her in revulsion. "If you think I'm going to spill all my secrets to you, _Mother_ , you're sadly mistaken," he spat.

"Why are you doing this? I know you set out to better the world, but this is madness!"

"It's madness to let others take what's yours and accept it blindly! The United Republic belongs to us, and we're taking it back," he retorted.

"And what would your justification be when your appetites turn to the Fire Nation- to the Water Tribe? The Earth Queen felt entitled to this land, too, and she met a grisly end," I mused faintly.

"But at what cost? How many people have to lose their lives before Kuvira is satisfied?" Su implored, leaning towards her son.

Bataar Jr. mimicked her, straining against his bonds. "It doesn't have to cost any lives if you would all just surrender! All that Kuvira and I want is a United Earth Empire!"

 _First an empire, then the world…history had not favoured those with such desire; this kind of hunger could never be sated_.

Bataar Jr. slumped back, and Su's eyes dropped to the floor. "I don't know what I did to hurt you, but whatever it was I am sorry. When you left Zaofu, it broke my heart- and our family has never been the same since. Please, Bataar- stop all this and come home," Su beseeched, "We want you back with us."

Bataar Jr. finally looked at his mother, and his features hardened. "Kuvira is my family now," he ground out.

Su's eyes snapped shut and tears ran down her face. I hurried up to her and puller her to her feet. "There is no love in you," I spat. I wrapped my arm around Su's shoulders and kissed her temple.

"We've been going about this all wrong," Korra concluded. She walked up to Bataar Jr. and shoved him back into the chair. "You're right- I'm not gonna physically hurt you if you don't talk. But there is something I could that will be even more painful," she began, and paused to look him in the eye. "I will take away the one thing you care about most…Kuvira," she finished.

Bataar Jr.'s expression dissipated into disbelief, and I could see the fear take hold in him. He took a deep breath and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Kuvira might win. She might chase us out of the city. But you won't be around to enjoy the victory. Because wherever I run, I'll take you. I am going to make it my life's mission to never let you see the one you love again. Is taking the city worth losing Kuvira forever?"

"No! You can't!" he protested wildly.

" _I will_ …unless you convince Kuvira to back off. You two will still have the Earth Empire- just leave the United Republic alone," Korra affirmed.

His head sagged against his chest, looking for the first time defeated. "Get me Kuvira," he mumbled, "I will talk to her to have her stand down."

Varrick brought in a two-way radio, and fiddled with the controls. "Start talking, kid," he ordered.

Bataar Jr. took another deep breath, and began, "Kuvira? It's Bataar. I've been captured. My airship was ambushed, and I was taken by force. Korra refuses to release me unless we back down and leave the city."

" _Are you injured?_ " Kuvira pressed.

"I'm fine," he assured her.

" _Is the Avatar with you now?_ "

"Yes, everyone is here.

Kuvira was silent for an awkward span of time, and a ball of unease dropped into my stomach…something did not feel right anymore.

"Listen to me…if you take Republic City, the Avatar will never let me see you again…and I refuse to live that way. Forget the United Republic- we have our empire! We have each other! Let's go back home and get married. The only thing that matters is that we're together for the rest of our lives."

Kuvira hesitated again before she finally admitted, " _You're right. This city isn't worth sacrificing our life together. I love you, Bataar._ "

Korra cut the line and began to untie Bataar Jr. "As soon as we work out terms with Kuvira, we'll let you out of here," she promised.

Mako lurched away from the window. "Guys- she must have learned our location! She's pointing that weapon right at us!" he cried.

"No! She wouldn't!" Bataar Jr. protested wildly.

"Everyone out! Now! _NOW_!" Korra yelled.


	12. Chapter 12

An ear-splitting explosion rattled everything as the weapon fired; the ray of shocking purple hurtled across the water, and tore through the walls like fire through parchment. We all raced through the crumbling building, only to be knock to the floor when the hummingbird mecha suits exploded beneath us on the floor below. A metal beam fell away from the ceiling and hurtling towards the unknowing Asami. I let out a cry and bent the metal away from her. Pain blossomed like wildfire on the back of my head, and blackness filled my vision.

* * *

"Lin, she'll be okay-"

"-Say that again," my mother urged darkly.

"She was distracted- saving me," Asami explained faintly.

My mother growled above me, and I slowly opened my eyes. I grinned wryly up at her, which earned me a glare. "Hello," I rasped.

"Now is not the time," my mother grumbled, "How are you feeling?"

"Better than after sparring with you," I teased, and slowly sat upright. My head felt incredibly light, and I felt like I was going to be sick. I sighed in relief when cool water caressed the back of my aching head, and I saw Korra kneeling beside me out of the corner of my eye.

"I'm sorry, but we need to get moving," she announced as she withdrew the water.

"Kailyn, I want you on Air Temple Island where I know you'll be safe," my mother ordered.

"No, I am not hiding. I'm going to use Kuvira being distracted to my advantage," I dismissed, carefully rising to my feet, "I am going to find Iroh."

"Kailyn, no," my mother argued.

"Mum, I can't leave him. I made my vows, and I will protect my husband-"

"-Do you even know where he is?! You are just one person, and you think you can take on the majority of Kuvira's forces alone?!"

"You don't understand…"

My mother's lips tightened, more than ready to curl into a snarl, but she kept them in a tight line and walked away.

"Mum," I called after her, but she ignored me.

"Kailyn," Su announced softly, "You should get moving."

"Su-"

"-I will look after her, I promise. Now go."

* * *

The streets were filled only by the soldiers that sought to claim the city in the name of their Great Uniter. I made my way back through the city using the underground network of tunnels. I sighed in relief when I went through an empty underground Republic City. I came back up to the ground level once I reach the end of the city. I ducked inside one of the abandoned tents and caught my breath. _Where would they take Iroh and the soldiers?_

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as the bone-rattling blast of the weapon erupted within the city. Another round sounded, and I flinched. Would my mother not come back to me after this? I shook the dark thoughts away; my mother was too strong, too stubborn, to be taken down by a machine. I looked out of the tent and saw the city on fire, and the giant mecha tank remained standing. I needed to get the United Forces liberated to even the score. I ran between the rows of tents until I reached the mountains across the plain. I looked around, hoping to see the gleam of a platinum cage in the setting sun, but I found nothing. I raked a panicked hand through my hair, and let out a frustrated growl.

I finally slammed my foot against the ground, and saw a multitude of the United Forces tuck away inside the mountain. Small tunnels no wider than Pabu, gave fresh air to the massive cave that held prisoners in its cavern. I burst through the mountain wall with a well-placed punch and regarded them.

"On your feet," I instructed, and reached for the hair pins holding back my hair to liberate the earthbenders confined in platinum.

"The president ordered the surrender," one protested.

"Kuvira is laying waste to the place many of you call home- will you sit back while she takes it from you?!" I demanded, and stopped picking locks to point out into the light, "What of the women and children? What will you answer when they ask you what you did to save their home from a tyrant? I am Kailyn, daughter of Chief Lin Beifong- wife to your general- and Princess of the Fire Nation. I am telling you to get on your feet, we are taking back our city, and keep the Kuvira's attention on the Avatar."

A shadow to my right rose to their feet. "You heard her," Iroh ordered, "Move out."

We made our way into the crumbling at sundown. Iroh launched into a sprint at the sight of the first mecha tank, and I was right behind him. I sent up a wall of earth to isolate the tank from the squad of foot soldiers, and then advanced. Iroh shot bursts of flame with ease as he danced around the mecha tank; he leapt through the air as a clawed arm crashed down where he previously stood. I encased the hand with earth, trapping it to the ground. I crept up the appendage, summoned a boulder out of the ground, and slammed it into the engine compartment. The mecha tank swayed on its feet before crashing to the ground.

I popped my shoulders and looked for Iroh. He knocked a soldier off his feet and kicked the underside of his jaw. Only when he did that- it left him terribly exposed. I shot my cables out, catching the Earth Empire soldier around the wrist before he could catch my husband unaware. I dragged him to me and engaged. The man sent a torrent of rocks like jagged knives. I spun and twirled through the air on the balls of my feet, batting away the rocks that got too close. When I landed firmly on my feet, I kicked out my heel, and the soldier staggered to remain upright after I had shifted the ground beneath him. A chunk of earth flew into my hand and I hurled it through the air like a power disc. An ill-timed laugh bubbled in my chest when the rock hit the soldier in the face of his helmet and he crumbled to the ground.

"Don't let me interrupt your fun," Iroh teased, "But it would seem we have guests." He nodded his head at the remaining soldiers that were approaching.

"Let it not be said that we are terrible hosts," I chuckled, and we dove into the fray.

* * *

Darkness has fallen, but the buildings on fire helped light our way through the empty streets. Iroh limped at my side, and I cradled my aching arm to my chest. A colossal amount of energy has been fired off in the Spirit Wilds, and the entire city seemed to be holding its breath.

"Something doesn't feel right," I announced, and cast my eyes about. "What is that?" I pressed, and pointed to the clump of metal thrown into a building.

"It looks like one of the arms from the mecha giant," Iroh observed.

I went over to the mutilated arm, and my heart fell like it was a ball of lead. "Mum? Mum!" I cried, and metalbent the sheet of metal holding her to the wall. She sagged into my arms, her head hung limply in the crook of my neck. Su was in the same condition.


	13. Chapter 13

The calm ended; the winds picked up, growing in fervor, and it reminded me of when you pulled the drain of a bath.

"We must find shelter!" Iroh shouted over the winds.

The winds were at their peak now, my hair whipped madly about my face, stinging, and it grew difficult to see. We wouldn't make it in the open with all the debris crashing through the air… I held my mother closer and looked to Iroh. "Hold still!" I yelled, and slammed my hand against the ground. Five slabs of earth shielded us from the wind and debris.

"Kailyn?" Iroh called out softly.

"I'm here," I panted.

A spark flared in his outstretched palm, casting a muted light in the shelter. I looked down my mother; there were no abrasions, and she breathed evenly…and yet she would not stir in my arms. I combed back the sweaty tendrils that had fallen into my mother's face. I heard a v faint groan across from me, and I looked up to see Su's eyes dance beneath their closed lids.

"Lin?" she mumbled.

"Su, you're all right, we're safe," Iroh soothed, and helped my aunt sit upright.

"What happened?" I urged.

"We were talking apart the weapon from inside- Kuvira must have…disengaged the arm from the rest of it."

I looked down at my mother, who had yet to show any signs of waking. "Mum, you need to wake up," I murmured, and raked my sweaty hand through her matted hair. Her jaw was slack, and her breathing was beginning to shallow. My vision blurred with tears, my mother's face grew distorted through my warped vision, and I pressed my knuckle to her sternum. I rubbed vigorously and began to cry. "Mum, Mum, you have to wake up," I beseeched, and drew her close. "P-Please," I stammered.

"Kailyn?"

I babbled incoherently and embraced her fiercely. My mother's arms slowly folded around me, until I released her after hearing an irritated huff.

"Didn't take you long to bust out of prison," she remarked, regarding Iroh with half-lidded eyes.

"Your daughter has a penchant for breaking out of them," Iroh replied wryly, "Along with inspiring people to take up arms."

My mother dropped the shelter I had created, and we slowly rose to our feet. Iroh and Su's brow furrowed when my mother turned her back on me. I bowed my head and furtively wiped away the tears that clung to my face. Iroh wrapped his arm around me, mindful of my deeply bruised arm.

"What is that?" my husband asked, nodding his head in the direction to the centre of downtown.

"It can't be," I whispered in awe, and stared at the pillar that lit up the dark sky. It was a portal to the Spirit World.

"Let's get moving," my mother ordered.

* * *

"Hey!" Varrick hollered as we came upon the crater enveloping the portal.

"Korra!" Mako called out, searching desperately for the Avatar. "Tenzin, there's no sign of her."

"Kailyn, please use your seismic sense," Asami begged, eyes filled with tears, "Please, you have to find her."

I took a deep breath and stepped out of Iroh's hold. I slammed my foot into the charred soil. Mako was right; there was no sign to make Korra's presence known. "Asami, she's not here," I explained gently.

"Keep looking! Korra?" Tenzin yelled, "Korra!"

The air was thick with fear, and the silence only amplified it. We continued our search; suddenly, spirits flew out of the portal and appeared all around us. A small butterfly spirit flitted about me until it landed on my stomach. A fluttering in my chest caused my throat to tighten.

"The spirits have returned."

"And so has Korra!" Asami cried, and Korra emerged from the portal with Kuvira. Tenzin, Asami, and Bolin reached them first.

"You're okay!" Bolin laughed.

"Thank the spirits," I whispered tremulously, and Iroh pulled me back into his arms. "We're all safe" I continued, and buried my face into his warm chest.

"Release Kuvira, or we will attack!" a man demanded, and the remainder of Kuvira's forces surrounded us.

Kuvira removed her arm from Korra's shoulders, and straightened to address her soldiers. "Stand down- this battle is over. I owe the Avatar my life. Her power is beyond anything I could ever hope to achieve," she said, and moved her attention to Su, "I'll accept whatever punishment the world sees fit."

The mecha suits lowered their weapons, and the men exited the cockpits. My mother strode up to the fallen Great Uniter, and handcuffed her.

"And Su, I'm sorry for all the anguish I've caused you and your family," she confessed.

"You're going to answer for _everything_ you've done," Su replied coolly.

My mother and Su escorted Kuvira away, but the latter stopped when she came upon Iroh and me. Iroh's arm tightened around me, and I held my breath. "I am sorry, Kailyn," she murmured.

Iroh tensed and made to take a step toward Kuvira, but I placed my hand on his chest to stop me. I regarded her for several moments before I could find the right words to say. "What you did to me was nothing compared to what you did to the people in the camps," I spoke smoothly, "But…you realised you were wrong in the end…so that will mean something- someday."

My mother cleared her throat, and so Kuvira walked on. Iroh kissed the crown of my head, and his arms tightened around me. I leaned into him and breathed deeply…finally, the fighting was over. I watched ass Korra embraced everyone- doing so with Asami multiple times. The Avatar's eyes swiveled to me, and I gave her a gentle smile. She walked up to me and wordlessly pulled me into her arms.

"Avatar Korra," I praised softly, only for her to hear, "You have done the impossible."

"Where do we go from here?" she wondered.

"For now, we tend to the wounded and get homes set up for the displaced. And tomorrow- we rebuild," I answered, "And tonight, we spend time with our loved ones."

* * *

Hours later, we were all together on Air Temple Island. We settled in the gardens, where the spirit portal was within sight. I was sitting cradled between Iroh's thighs, and our intertwined hands rested on my abdomen.

"Kailyn, you must talk to Lin," Iroh murmured, and my eyes once more locked on my mother.

She was alone; one could feel the anger- the pain- rolling off of her. She sat beneath the very tree where I had sought refuge beneath the night Lin took me in. "What am I to say?" I wondered.

"You know her better than anyone- including Tenzin. Go," my husband urged.

I took a deep breath as I rose to my feet. I nervously rubbed my hands together, and then walked over to my mother. "Mum," I began as I took a seat next to her, but lost the words when I saw her dark eyes.

"I have nothing to say to you," she growled.


	14. Chapter 14

"That may be the case, but I have something to say to you," I countered. My mother's shoulders tensed, and her gaze remained on the ground. "What have I done? I pressed faintly.

My mother growled incoherently and lurched to her feet. "I don't want to talk about this," she dismissed.

"Hey!" I shouted after her, "We are going to talk about this so that you can snap out of whatever mood you're in."

"Why won't you let this go?!" my mother retorted, spinning about to give me a cold look, "Because I obviously can't ever understand."

It had fallen silent around us, and I regarded my mother with sad eyes. _You can't understand…_ I blinked rapidly to keep my eyes free of tears, but to no avail. "Is that what you think?" I murmured, "That I don't need you because of something I said? Mum, Korra needed you- we couldn't afford to lose. Iroh need me, and I couldn't leave him behind."

My mother's hands clenched into fists at her sides, and her eyes narrowed to slits. "What kind of mother would I be if I let you go off alone, in your condition?" she vented, "Did you not think of how I would feel if something had happened to you- if you died?! I can't lose you again- I nearly lost you at that damned peak. I can't fail you again."

Halfway through her confession, I had begun to cry. "You're my mother- I will always need you," I announced tremulously, and regarded her sadly. I wiped the tears away and rambled, "I-I am so sorry, Mum, I didn't think-"

My mother pulled me into her arms and held me fast. "Enough," she soothed, speaking into her hair.

I wrapped me arms around her and pressed my cheek into the warm metal of her uniform. The ball of lead in my chest softened, and fell away. Everything was going to be all right.

"I like when Mum and Aunt Lin make up better," Wei began.

"Yeah, a lot more bending," Wing argued.

"Boys!" Su chided.

My mum tightened her arms around me, and I exhaled loudly. "Easy now," I warned, "Not as thin as I used to be."

My mother's eyes drifted down my body to rest on my stomach. "How…How do you feel?" she asked softly.

"Tired," I confessed, "But that could be from all the fighting." One of her hands twitched and she looked confused; I reached out and slowly brought her hand to my swell. Her entire body stiffened and she looked at me wide eyes. "It's okay, Mum," I assured her, "The baby won't bite."

"Yet," Su warned, shooting a look at Opal.

* * *

"Iroh, we need to go back to the Fire Nation to bring the orphans back to Republic City."

"About that," Iroh began, smiling sheepishly and rubbing the back of his neck, "It seems that the people of the Fire Nation have expressed great interest in adopting them."

My heart rose and fell at the thought of Ephraim being adopted; that little boy had captured my heart, and so it wasn't difficult to learn that he had done the same for another. "All of them?" I inquired faintly.

Iroh's smile grew and the dimple on his right cheek made its appearance. _How I loved that dimple- focus._ "All but one…a little boy named Ephraim, who refuses to leave because a certain Fire Nation princess promised she would come back for him," he explained.

I smiled brightly and took a seat beside my husband. I took hold of his hand and met his gaze; I had to convince Iroh that Ephraim was going to be a part of our family. "Iroh, when I met that little boy…" I confessed, trailing off when I was at a loss for words, "He needs a home as much as I ever did, and I-"

Iroh cupped my face and kissed me soundly. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and his topaz eyes were glowing as he regarded me. "Kailyn, I know, and I think that you are right. My mother has written to me about Ephraim, and I would like to meet him."

I threw my arms around him as I beamed. "When can we go home?" I inquired.

"In order to make it to Varrick and Zhu Li' wedding, it would probably be best to leave tomorrow. Do you need anything?"

"Not a thing- but someone," I answered. I rose to my feet and wandered out into the gardens of the island. I found my mother looking out at the city- free of her uniform. I came up to her side, and rested my head on her shoulder.

"Korra has changed the city time and time again," my mother murmured.

"She has, and we've been through it all," I agreed, idly catching one of the falling blossoms from the lotus trees around us. "Mum, will come to the Fire Nation with Iroh and me?"

"What business would I have there?"

"I know President Raiko made you take time off, and…" I caught my bottom lip between my teeth.

"And?" my mother pressed.

"And there is someone waiting for me in the Fire Nation that you need to meet," I finished.

"Oh?" my mother wondered, and I could feel her quirked brow without even having to lift my head from its perch.

"Will you come…please?"

"Of course."

* * *

"Look, it's your escape partner?" Iroh teased, eyes to the sky to regard the dragon overhead.

"How did you find out?" I groaned as I straightened up from the railing, and wiped the corners of my mouth with a damp cloth.

Iroh's hand came to rest on my stomach and he looked at me, clearly concerned. "Are you sure you're all right?" he pressed.

"Just mother's sickness…so how did you find out Druk helped me?"

"You flew on Zuko's dragon?!" my mother demanded.

"Well, it wasn't my original plan, but Druk kept trying to take me back to the palace," I protested weakly.

My mother shook her head, and looked up at the great drake circling around us. "Convinced a dragon, sounds like you," my mother chortled under her breath.

"I am your daughter," I quipped.

My mother rolled her eyes, but she shot me a proud smile. I looked out at the horizon to take in the Capital's landscape. This was how my mother would have arrived years ago; this was how it should have been.

Iroh's free arm wrapped around my waist, and he murmured, "My mother said she would be waiting for us at the harbour."

I leaned into and smiled as the dragon gate was lowered to permit the ship into the harbour. My mother chuckled when I leaned up on the railing to peer out at the awaiting procession at the top of the dock's stairs. Izumi stood centre with Zuko, and I beamed when I saw a familiar figure dancing in place at the former's side.

"Hold still, you're as bad as the kid," my mother chuckled, which caused Iroh to laugh and for me to blush. My stomach rolled unpleasantly when the ship came to a rolling halt, and Iroh flashed me an apologetic smile.

The moment the walkway hit the dock, Ephraim was sprinting down the steps towards us. "Princess Kailyn! Princess Kailyn!" he called out.

I darted down the plank with a smile so big, my cheeks ached. Ephraim crashed into my legs, and I pulled him into my arms without a moment's hesitation. His arms folded around my neck and my vision blurred with tears when he snuffled the column of my neck. "Hello," I murmured, "Did you have a good time?"

He faintly nodded and announced, "You were gone a long time…and your stomach is hard and round. And everyone left, but I stayed here…why?"

"I have a baby in there," I answered, nodding my head down to the aforementioned, "And it's only going to get bigger." I threaded my hand through his curls and slowly explained, "All the other children found a new family that took them home."

"But why didn't anyone want me?" he wondered tremulously.


	15. Chapter 15

I realised what the situation meant from his perspective; Ephraim was taken from the only home he had known, and then in a strange place all the children were adopted…except for him… I blinked rapidly and tightened my chest to keep the trembling sobs from startling Ephraim. _Damn hormones…_

"That's because we want you in our family," my husband announced, giving my shoulder a comforting squeeze.

Ephraim raised his head from my shoulder to regard Iroh. "Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Iroh-"

"-That's the name of Lady Izumi's son. Is that you?"

"Yes, and he's also my husband," I finished.

"Oh." Ephraim buried his face into my neck, and Iroh let out a soft chuckle. I glanced over my left shoulder; my mother regarded me with a strangle look, but she seemed at ease.

"Welcome home," Izumi greeted.

"Mother," Iroh said, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Lin," Zuko called out warmly, "What a pleasant surpise- it is great to see you again."

My mother smiled faintly, and bowed her head. "Hello, Zuko," she replied.

"That's your mum, right?" Ephraim asked me.

"I am," Lin answered, and eyed the child uncertainly.

"She must be a good mum, 'cause Princess Kailyn is the nicest-prettiest- lady I know," Ephraim concluded, and flashed me a broad grin.

"One of the best," I agreed, and ruffled his hair. "Tell me about all the fun things you got to do," I urged.

"Lady Izumi played with me, and Lord Zuko drew pictures with me!"

"Did he now?" I gasped playfully, and laughed when Zuko's cheeks flushed.

"Lord Zuko told me that Druk let you ride him like he does- is that true?"

"It is," I affirmed.

Ephraim looked at my mother with wide eyes and exclaimed, "Chief Beifong, did you hear that?! Princess Kailyn rode a _dragon_!"

"I heard," my mother remarked softly.

"Did you teach her all she knows?"

A proud smirk twitched my mother's lips and she replied, "Yes, but she still has some things left to learn, kid."

"I bet Princess Kailyn is going to be the best earthbender ever."

* * *

We made our way to the Palace, and Ephraim remained in my arms the entire way- drilling me with questions about the battle against Kuvira. Iroh dutifully answered any questions I faltered with, which in turn resulted in Ephraim clambering to keep my husband's attention. I did not fail to notice that my mother hung back, taking in every interaction with a peculiar look on her face. When we reached the inner courtyard, I set Ephraim on the ground.

"Iroh, why don't you take Ephraim to the pond to feed the turtle-ducks?" I prompted.

Ephraim reached out his hand, and threaded his fingers with Iroh's. The two of them slowly walked out of sight, the former babbling to my husband, who listened attentively. I turned my attention to my mother.

"Come this way, I want to show you one of my favourite places," I explained, and took hold of her arm. I led her deep into the castle into the heart of the volcano. "This is where Toph, Sokka, and Avatar Aang tried to take on Ozai on the Day of Black Sun," I recounted, motioning to the iron doors that still bore the mark of the mighty Beifong. "I love practicing down here- there's something about the earth in the heart of such a powerful thing…" I noticed my mother was only half listening. "What is it?" I pressed.

"It's strange…seeing you with that boy- makes me realise how you're going to be a mother," she confessed, "It's a little overwhelming."

"You're telling me-" My voice caught in my throat at the peculiar fluttering in my belly, and I looked at my mother with big eyes. I snatched her hand and pressed it into my belly. The fluttering happened again, and my mother's eye grew to the size of saucer- her eyes riveted to her hand. "Did you feel that?" I whispered thickly.

"That was the baby?" she wondered.

"That's the first time I have felt the baby move like that," I explained, "What do you want the baby to be?"

"Strong, like you."

"A boy or a girl, I mean?" I laughed.

My mother's twitched when they felt another move, and her eyes softened. "I want you and the baby to be safe and healthy," she answered.

"I would love to have a little boy, a brother for Ephraim."

"The kid looks like Iroh," my mother commented.

"That's what made me fall in love with him at first," I confided, "I am so glad I can do everything I can to give him the family he never had to call his own."

My mother's hand drifted away from my swell, and her eyes raised to meet mine. "You seem to have a skill at finding a family for those who need it," she murmured, and pressed a kiss to my brow. "I know I am not a lovey dovey mother like Su or Pema, but I want you to know that I am proud of you," she murmured.

"Thank you, Mum."

* * *

"Good night, Ephraim," Iroh murmured warmly as the two of us stood at the edge of his bed that night.

"Can I have another story?" the boy asked.

"We read you two already," I chided, and brushed his curls out of his face, "It's time for us all to get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

"Oh." Ephraim's face buried for a lengthy moment in the covers before he looked up me with sad eyes. "You will be here tomorrow- and the day after that, right?" he worried.

"Of course, we will," I assured him.

"Oh. Okay," he concluded faintly, and rolled over onto his side with his back facing us.

Iroh and I exchanged a glance, and I sat on the bed and reached out a hand to gently grab his shoulder. "Ephraim, what is the matter?" I pressed warmly.

"Nothing."

"You can tell us, it's okay."

"Can I sleep in your bed?" he asked faintly.

"Yes," Iroh and I answered simultaneously. Iroh plucked Ephraim out of the bed, and I smiled brightly when the latter immediately rested his head on my husband's shoulder. We walked across the hall to our chambers, and Ephraim squirmed out of Iroh's arms to race to the bed. He clambered onto the bed and settled in the middle. His topaz eyes glittered as he looked at the two of us watching him.

"Will I…Will I have to go back to Republic City?" he asked suddenly.

"Why would you think that?" Iroh wondered gently.

"All the other kids left…"

I sat on the bed and pulled Ephraim between my legs so that he rested against my chest. "Ephriam, Iroh and I want to adopt you so that you can be a part of our family. Would you like that?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed, and then his brow furrowed, "What do I call you?"

"You call us whatever you want," Iroh answered,

"Can I call you Mum and Dad?"

"Of course," I answered readily.

Ephraim looked up at me over his shoulder with wide eyes, "Do you really want me?" he whispered.

"Absolutely," I affirmed, and pressed a kiss on his brow. I moved us around so that we both were lying down. I smiled when Ephraim's fingers threaded in my hair; I looked over his shoulder to meet Iroh's gaze. "You're quite the snuggly turtleduck," I chuckled, and reached out my hand to grasp Iroh's as he slipped onto the bed behind Ephraim.

"You smell good," Ephraim mumbled, and I felt his yawn crash against my neck.

"Go to sleep," Iroh reminded, "We have a long day tomorrow."


	16. Chapter 16

"Stop, or we will be late," I laughed as Iroh peppered my bare stomach with kisses.

"I can't help it, especially when she kicks up a storm whenever I do," Iroh mused.

"Why do you keep thinking it's a girl? I am telling you, it's going to be a boy," I teased.

"No, I need a little princess to spoil," Iroh dismissed, placing one last kiss before pulling down my loose tunic. "Ready?"

"As I will ever be, is Ephraim dressed?"

"He is waiting with my grandfather out in the courtyard."

Together, we all made our way to the front gate of the palace for the press conference to cover the formal declaration announcing the end of the conflict with Kuvira, and of my pregnancy.

My mother and Izumi stood on either side of the three of us as Iroh, Ephraim, and I strode up to the podium. Ephraim started to duck behind my legs when the cameras began to flash, but Iroh reached down to take him into his arms. I beamed at the grin the two shared, and watched as my husband began his address.

"People of the Fire Nation, it is with extreme gratitude that I can say the dispute with the Earth Empire has reached a resolution, thanks to Avatar Korra. Kuvira is awaiting trial, and those who are misplaced or have lost their homes will receive the relief they need from the United Republic and this great nation. There is much work to be done, but it is our mutual responsibility to share that work to help those who faced oppression from Kuvira's rise to power.

"Also, my wife and I have news to share with you. Kailyn and I have adopted this boy here. Please join me in welcoming your new prince, Ephraim!" Iroh concluded.

Ephraim jolted when the crowd clapped and cheered. His frantic eyes peered around Iroh to meet my reassuring ones, and the boy reached out for me. I eased him out of my husband's arms, and hummed soothingly when he buried his face in my hair. I shifted closer to Iroh, and leaned down to speak into the microphone.

"Secondly," I began smoothly, "There will be another addition to our family in several months' time."

Camera flashes erupted, and I wordlessly urged Ephraim to look out at the crowd and smile. Iroh leaned in to kiss my temple, then we all stepped away from the podium with a polite farewell.

"I don't like that," Ephraim grumbled.

"You and me both," my mother agreed wryly.

Ephraim gave her a shy smile, and then asked, "Mum, what do I call your mum?"

My mother's eyes widened; meanwhile, I was floored. I beamed at the little boy, and stole glances at my mother out of the corner of my eye. "You should ask her," I replied softly.

"What do I call you, Chief Beifong?"

My mother sputtered incoherently for a moment before she took a deep breath. "Kid, you can call me…Gran," she answered haltingly, and I had to stifle my laughter at her unease.

I wrapped my free arm around her shoulders and whispered, "Thank you."

"What do I call Lady Izumi, since she's Dad's mum?" Ephraim continued.

"Gran-Gran," my mother snorted.

"I heard that," Izumi remarked playfully, and bumped my mother's shoulder as she met up with us.

My mother had the decency to look abashed. However, that soon was no longer taken into account when she added softly, so Ephraim could not hear, "You _are_ older than me…"

I groaned as I tried to pull my trousers up my hips, huffing when I could get them no higher than the previous attempt. "Come in," I grumbled to my mother through the closed door.

"There is a five year old boy with the worst case of the jitters," my mother announced wryly, "But it seems like the trouble is going on in here."

"Funny," I sniffed, "My clothes are starting to not fit."

"From my observation with Pema, that tends to happen," my mother snickered.

"Not helping, go find something useful to do while I find something that will fit," I growled, and threw yet another piece of clothing back into the wardrobe. I delved deeper into the armoire and found perhaps one of the few pieces of clothing that would fit it. It was a linen dress that was meant to have a sash to cinch the loose fabric at the waist; I improvised, and bent a thin band of metal to rest under the swells of my breasts. I pulled my hair back into a loose plait, and left Iroh's and my bedchambers.

It took me half an hour to reach the solar due to various council members or staff approaching me with well-wishes or inquiries over some matter. I entered the room slightly breathlessly, and in desperate need of a glass of water. Zuko seemed to read my expression, for he held out a glass with a gentle smile.

"Thank you," I murmured, and looked around the room for Ephraim. My brow furrowed when the boy was not there. "Has anyone seen Ephraim this morning?" I worried, which garnered Iroh's attention from the morning paper.

"Not since last night," Izumi answered, looking up from her paperwork and pushed her glasses up her nose. She rose from the table, and gently gripped my arm. "I am sure he is around here somewhere," she assured me.

"Iroh, I'm-"

The doors burst open and Ephraim came hurtling into the solar. "Run!" he hollered.

Iroh and Zuko dropped into defensive stances in front of us, and I pushed Ephraim behind me. A hearty laugh tumbled past Zuko's lips when my mother darted into the room.

"Run! It's the Melon Lord!" Ephraim yelped.

My brow cocked at my mother, and Zuko let out another laugh. "Melon Lord?" I repeated.

"Toph told you that story?" Zuko chortled.

"Absolutely," my mother explained, "And now it seems I have a princess to catch, too!"

"Run! Run!" Ephraim laughed, and took me by the hand.

I ducked us behind the sofa, and then dashed for the door. I could hear my mother's boot hitting the stone floor as she took pursuit, which was followed by Ephraim's shriek of startled delight. We raced down the corridor and ducked into a room with hushed giggles.

"Will she find us?" Ephraim whispered, eyes wide.

"Absolutely," my mother's voice announced from the doorway, and a cable gently snaked around Ephraim's chest and lifted him into the air. "Looks like I caught a little prince."

"You're gonna be in big trouble- my mum is the toughest lady in the world!" Ephraim warned, eyes twinkling with mirth.

I was once again floored by the little boy in front of me. _He called me his mum…_ I blinked rapidly to hide the tears brought on by the surge of hormones, and beamed up him- _my son_. "You betcha," I agreed, and bent the cable off him, and caught him in my arms as he dropped.

"See? I told ya!" Ephraim crowed.

My mother walked up at ruffled Ephraim's hair. "You have quite the protector, kid," she remarked.

"I have the best family," Ephraim agreed.

"We try," my mother mused wryly.

Iroh's head peered around the open door, and when he saw the three of us he smiled. "Breakfast is ready, and then we head back to Republic City for Varrick and Zhu Li's wedding right after."

"Wonderful, another sea voyage," I groaned.


End file.
